Orange-throated Sunangel vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliangelus mavors compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Orange-throated Sunangel | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliangelus mavors | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.7 cm (5.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.15 g (0.15 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of montane Ericaceae and epiphyte flowers. Supplements nectar with small arthropods gleaned near blooms. | 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
Orange-throated Sunangel
Rapid, mechanical clicking trill; quick staccato notes strung evenly in dry sequence typical of swift species.
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
Orange-throated Sunangel
Endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in cloud forest. 1,800–2,800 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Orange-throated Sunangel
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Orange-throated Sunangel
Giant Hummingbird: bronze-green above; rufous-buff underparts; white rump patch; pale supercilium; largest hummingbird; monomorphic
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
Orange-throated Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in cloud forests of Venezuela and Colombia at 1,500-3,000 m. Males have an iridescent orange throat gorget. Green plumage. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. An Andean highland 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.