Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Long-tailed Woodnymph
Ensifera ensifera compared with Thalurania watertonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Long-tailed Woodnymph |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Thalurania watertonii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 10.9 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.3999999999999995 g (0.16 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on floral nectar in Atlantic Forest understory; supplements diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Long-tailed Woodnymph
Soft, sibilant notes in flowing sequence; gentle high twittering with airy quality near flowering vegetation.
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.
Long-tailed Woodnymph
Endemic to the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. Classified as Endangered due to severe habitat fragmentation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Long-tailed 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
Long-tailed Woodnymph
Savile's Bustard: pale brown above; white underparts; black crown; pale streaked mantle; males with dark collar; sexually dimorphic
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.
Long-tailed Woodnymph
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. Males have a long, deeply forked violet-blue tail and green body. Nectarivore of forest edges. Classified as Endangered due to severe Atlantic Forest fragmentation.