Violet-capped Hummingbird vs Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Goldmania violiceps compared with Lampornis amethystinus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Violet-capped Hummingbird Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Scientific Name Goldmania violiceps Lampornis amethystinus
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Near Threatened Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 9.9 cm (3.9 in) 13.1 cm (5.2 in)
Weight 3.8666666666666667 g (0.14 oz) 5.6000000000000005 g (0.20 oz)
Diet Feeds on nectar from lowland Panamanian forest flowers. Supplements with insects and spiders foraged from … Nectarivore of Mexican and Central American montane pine-oak forest; visits Ericaceae and Salvia. Gleans arthropods.
Clutch Size -- 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Violet-capped Hummingbird only

None

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Violet-capped Hummingbird

Song

Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic ring; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Song

Pure, sustained flute-like tone held steady; single clear note with barely perceptible vibrato in tropical shade.

Geographic Range & Migration

Violet-capped Hummingbird

Found in humid forests from eastern Panama to northwestern Colombia. Resident in lowland forest undergrowth.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Found in montane forest from Mexico south through Guatemala and Honduras to El Salvador. 1,000–3,200 m.

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

Violet-capped Hummingbird

Least Concern

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

About These Birds

Violet-capped Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests from eastern Panama to northwestern Colombia. Green plumage with a violet crown (males). Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges. Named after the American ornithologist William Goldman.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in mountain forests from Mexico to Honduras at 1,000-3,000 m. Males have an amethyst-purple throat. Nectarivore of pine-oak and cloud forest. Commonly visits feeders in Mexican highland gardens.

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