Black-bellied Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eupherusa nigriventris compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-bellied Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eupherusa nigriventris | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 9.4 cm (3.7 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.3200000000000003 g (0.12 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from diverse forest flowers, hovering briefly at each bloom. Takes small insects … | 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-bellied Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched twittering barely audible; delicate minute notes cascading gently near flowering canopy.
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-bellied Hummingbird
Found in humid forests of Costa Rica and western Panama at 700-1,800 m. Resident in cloud forest undergrowth.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black-bellied Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-bellied Hummingbird
Pavonine Cuckoo: dark iridescent blue-green above; rufous underparts; pale supercilium; long blue-green tail; peacock-eye tail pattern
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-bellied Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests of Costa Rica and western Panama at 700-1,800 m. Males have a distinctive black belly contrasting with green breast. Nectarivore of cloud forest undergrowth and edges.
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.