Black-thighed Puffleg vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eriocnemis derbyi compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-thighed Puffleg | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eriocnemis derbyi | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.2 cm (4.4 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.25 g (0.19 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian Andes; visits dense Ericaceae patches at high elevations. Catches small insects in … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-thighed Puffleg
Rapid, buzzy trill with slightly harsh quality; quick series of rough notes given persistently near territorial boundaries.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-thighed Puffleg
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador to northern Peru. 2,400–3,600 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black-thighed Puffleg
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-thighed Puffleg
Fawn-breasted Brilliant: males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic bronze-green; fawn-buff underparts; females green above; spotted
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
About These Birds
Black-thighed Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Ecuador at 2,500-3,200 m. Green plumage with black thigh feathers and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. Classified as Near Threatened due to habitat loss.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.