Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Violet-capped Woodnymph
Ensifera ensifera compared with Thalurania glaucopis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Violet-capped Woodnymph |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Thalurania glaucopis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.78 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of South Brazilian forest, visiting bromeliads and Heliconia. Supplements with insects and spiders. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Violet-capped Woodnymph only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Deep, hollow churr with resonant character; prolonged buzzing sound vibrating softly through tropical canopy.
Geographic Range & Migration
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. Resident.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Violet-capped Woodnymph
How to Tell Them Apart
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Hartlaub's Bustard: males with dark belly; white underparts; brown-vermiculated above; black crown; pale streaked; sexual dimorphism
About These Birds
Sword-billed Hummingbird
A remarkable hummingbird (14-15 cm body) with a bill as long as its body (8-10 cm), the longest bill relative to body size of any bird. Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 1,700-3,500 m. The extraordinarily long bill evolved to feed on deep tubular Passiflora flowers.
Violet-capped Woodnymph
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. Males have a violet-blue crown and green body. Nectarivore of forest and forest edges. Replaced by Fork-tailed Woodnymph in Amazonia.