Mexican Woodnymph vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eupherusa ridgwayi compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mexican Woodnymph | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eupherusa ridgwayi | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.733333333333333 g (0.13 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 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
Mexican Woodnymph
Rapid, light twittering cascade; high airy notes tumbling quickly in animated sequence above flowers.
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
Mexican Woodnymph
Endemic to the Pacific lowlands of western Mexico from Nayarit to Guerrero. Resident in tropical deciduous forest.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Mexican Woodnymph
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Mexican Woodnymph
Smooth-billed Ani: all black with greenish gloss; large laterally compressed bill with dorsal ridge; long graduated black tail; no crest
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
Mexican Woodnymph
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the Pacific lowlands of western Mexico from Nayarit to Guerrero. Green plumage with rufous belly. Nectarivore of tropical deciduous forest. Named after the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway. A Mexican endemic.
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.