Sword-billed Hummingbird vs White-tailed Hillstar
Ensifera ensifera compared with Urochroa leucura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | White-tailed Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Urochroa leucura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 14.7 cm (5.8 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 9.774999999999999 g (0.34 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane shrubs; forages at Ericaceae and Puya flowers. Supplements with small insects. |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| 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.
White-tailed Hillstar
Sharp, emphatic two-note call; high accented first note followed by softer brief second, repeated persistently.
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.
White-tailed Hillstar
Found on the eastern Andean slope of Peru and Bolivia in montane cloud forest. 1,000–2,600 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
White-tailed Hillstar
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
White-tailed Hillstar
Dusky Starfrontlet: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic bronze-green; white flanks; females green above; spotted underparts
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.
White-tailed Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in Andean cloud forests of Peru and Bolivia at 2,000-3,500 m. Green plumage with white outer tail feathers visible in flight. Nectarivore of montane forest. Recently split from Rufous-gaped Hillstar.