Buff-thighed Puffleg vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Haplophaedia assimilis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Buff-thighed Puffleg | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Haplophaedia assimilis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.4 cm (4.5 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.05 g (0.18 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane forest; forages at Ericaceae and bromeliads. Supplements diet with small arthropods. | 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
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Melodic, two-note descending call; pure warm tones stepping down smoothly, given at regular intervals from perch.
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
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Found on the eastern Andean slope in Peru in lower montane and foothill forest. 600–2,200 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Brown Violetear: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic bronze-green above; violet ear tufts; females green with spotted below
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
Buff-thighed Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Peru to Bolivia at 1,000-2,500 m. Green plumage with buff-colored leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Closely related to Greenish Puffleg. An Andean foothill specialist.
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.