Green-crowned Brilliant vs Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Heliodoxa jacula compared with Nesophlox lyrura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-crowned Brilliant | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliodoxa jacula | Nesophlox lyrura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 7.633333333333333 g (0.27 oz) | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Central American and Colombian cloud forest; visits diverse montane flowers. Catches small insects … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Green-crowned Brilliant
Harsh, crackling buzz with emphatic onset; abrupt rough trill issuing from scrub then stopping sharply.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Geographic Range & Migration
Green-crowned Brilliant
Found in humid foothill and lower montane forest from Costa Rica south through Colombia and Ecuador to Peru. 400–1,600 m.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Conservation Status
Green-crowned Brilliant
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Green-crowned Brilliant
Oasis Hummingbird: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic bronze-green above; white underparts; females green above; spots
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
About These Birds
Green-crowned Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in humid forests from Guatemala to Ecuador at 400-2,000 m. Males have a brilliant green crown and throat. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Named for its shining, jewel-like green crown.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.