Rufous-webbed Brilliant vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliodoxa branickii compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-webbed Brilliant | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliodoxa branickii | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.5 cm (4.9 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.54 g (0.20 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane forest; visits Ericaceae and Heliconia flowers. Catches small insects in aerial … | 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
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Sharp, mechanical clicks in rapid succession; dry staccato notes forming even sequence, distinctly clicking in character.
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
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Found in cloud forest on the eastern Andean slope of Peru and Bolivia. 1,000–2,400 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
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
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in Andean cloud forests of Peru and Bolivia at 1,500-2,800 m. Green plumage with rufous webbing on wing feathers visible in flight. Nectarivore of montane forest. Named for the rufous inner web of flight feathers.
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.