Purple-throated Carib vs White-whiskered Hermit
Eulampis jugularis compared with Phaethornis yaruqui
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Purple-throated Carib | White-whiskered Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eulampis jugularis | Phaethornis yaruqui |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.3 cm (5.6 in) | 11.9 cm (4.7 in) |
| Weight | 9.316666666666666 g (0.33 oz) | 5.416666666666667 g (0.19 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.
White-whiskered Hermit
Gentle, melodic warbling with flowing phrases; notes weaving smoothly in quiet musical progression through dappled forest.
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.
White-whiskered Hermit
Endemic to the Pacific slope of Ecuador and northwestern Colombia in lowland humid forest. Sea level to 800 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Purple-throated Carib
White-whiskered 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
White-whiskered Hermit
Eastern Long-tailed Hermit: forked blue-black tail; iridescent blue-green above; white postocular stripe; buff-white underparts; decurved bill
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.
White-whiskered Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in humid foothill forests of western Colombia and Ecuador. Dark plumage with white whisker-like throat stripes and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. A specialist of Chocó rainforest habitats.