Sombre Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eupetomena cirrochloris compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sombre Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eupetomena cirrochloris | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 8.05 g (0.28 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore specialising in tubular blossoms; supplements the floral nectar diet with tiny insects and spiders … | 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
Sombre Hummingbird
Harsh, scratchy buzz with coarse mechanical quality; sustained rough vibration with dry rattling character.
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
Sombre Hummingbird
Endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Resident in forest and forest edges.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Sombre Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Sombre Hummingbird
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo: dark brown above; buff below; rufous wing patches visible in flight; long tail; blue orbital ring
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
Sombre Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Dull olive-green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and forest edges. One of the more plainly colored Brazilian hummingbirds. Often seen in shaded forest undergrowth.
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.