Purple-throated Sunangel vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliangelus viola compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Purple-throated Sunangel | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliangelus viola | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.433333333333333 g (0.19 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore strongly associated with Ericaceae in treeline habitats. Catches small insects on the wing for … | 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
Purple-throated Sunangel
Soft, liquid warbling with gentle character; mellow notes flowing easily in quiet musical phrase at forest edge.
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
Purple-throated Sunangel
Found in Andean cloud forests of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,600–3,000 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Purple-throated Sunangel
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Purple-throated Sunangel
Peruvian Metaltail: males with iridescent violet gorget; metallic green back; very long bill; females green above; pale spotted underparts
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
Purple-throated Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Ecuador to Peru at 1,800-3,200 m. Males have a deep purple-violet throat gorget. Green plumage. Nectarivore of montane forest edges, particularly partial to flowering Ericaceae shrubs.
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.