Blue-capped Puffleg vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eriocnemis glaucopoides compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue-capped Puffleg | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eriocnemis glaucopoides | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.75 g (0.13 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian Andes; fluffy leg tufts show during hover at Ericaceae blooms. Gleans small … | 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
Blue-capped Puffleg
Buzzy, high-pitched trill barely audible; rapid soft vibration with insect-like quality during hovering near blossoms.
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
Blue-capped Puffleg
Endemic to Argentina and adjacent Bolivia in high Andean scrub and puna at 2,600–4,200 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Blue-capped Puffleg
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue-capped Puffleg
Velvet-browed Brilliant: males with iridescent purple gorget; velvety black brow; metallic bronze-green above; females green with spots
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
Blue-capped Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Bolivia to northwestern Argentina at 2,000-3,500 m. Green plumage with blue crown and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest and cloud forest edges. The southernmost puffleg species.
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.