Purple-throated Carib vs Long-tailed Hermit
Eulampis jugularis compared with Phaethornis superciliosus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Purple-throated Carib | Long-tailed Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eulampis jugularis | Phaethornis superciliosus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.3 cm (5.6 in) | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 9.316666666666666 g (0.33 oz) | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Caribbean island forests; bill adapted to visit Heliconia and Brugmansia. Takes small arthropods … | Nectarivore of dense undergrowth flowers. Regularly hawks small flying insects and gleans spiders to meet … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Purple-throated Carib
Thin, sibilant twittering with airy quality; light high notes cascading softly in relaxed sequence near flowers.
Long-tailed Hermit
Thin, sibilant hissing trill; continuous soft buzz with slight pulsing quality, issued during slow hovering near blossoms.
Geographic Range & Migration
Purple-throated Carib
Found throughout the Lesser Antilles from Saba to Grenada. Prefers mature forest and flowering trees. Sea level to 800 m.
Long-tailed Hermit
Found in lowland humid forest from Colombia and Venezuela east through the Guianas and south through Amazonian Brazil. 0–700 m.
Conservation Status
Purple-throated Carib
Long-tailed Hermit
How to Tell Them Apart
Purple-throated Carib
Turquoise-throated Puffleg: iridescent violet crown; glittering turquoise gorget; metallic green back; white leg puffs; females duller
Long-tailed Hermit
Black-crested Coquette: males with elongated black-tipped rufous crest; iridescent green gorget; white collar; females with rufous crown
About These Birds
Purple-throated Carib
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the Lesser Antilles from Saba to St. Vincent. Males have iridescent purple throat and green body. Nectarivore of montane forest and gardens. Larger and more aggressive than Green-throated Carib, dominating flower territories.
Long-tailed Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through the Guianas to northern Brazil. Green plumage with long, curved bill and very long, white-tipped central tail feathers. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Males gather in singing leks.