Tourmaline Sunangel vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliangelus exortis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tourmaline Sunangel | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliangelus exortis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.2 cm (4.8 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.3 g (0.19 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting narrow tubular blooms of cloud-forest shrubs. Supplements diet with small spiders caught near … | 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
Tourmaline Sunangel
Melodic, two-note ascending call; pure first tone rising to brighter second note, given repeatedly with clear projection.
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
Tourmaline Sunangel
Found in cloud forests of Colombia and western Venezuela at 1,800–3,200 m. Fairly common in its limited range.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Tourmaline Sunangel
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Tourmaline Sunangel
Coppery Metaltail: shining coppery-green above; white underparts with cinnamon flanks; glittering violet gorget; females spotted throat
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
Tourmaline Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Peru at 1,500-3,000 m. Males have a glittering multi-colored throat flashing green, orange, and purple like a tourmaline gemstone. Nectarivore of montane forest edges and Ericaceae-rich habitats.
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.