Green-crowned Brilliant vs Great Sapphirewing
Heliodoxa jacula compared with Pterophanes cyanopterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-crowned Brilliant | Great Sapphirewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliodoxa jacula | Pterophanes cyanopterus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.633333333333333 g (0.27 oz) | 10.05 g (0.35 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Central American and Colombian cloud forest; visits diverse montane flowers. Catches small insects … | Nectarivore of high Andean cloud forest and treeline; one of the largest hummingbirds. Visits Ericaceae … |
| 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.
Great Sapphirewing
Buzzy, insect-like trill with pulsing rhythm; high-frequency vibration with slight amplitude modulation near flowers.
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.
Great Sapphirewing
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,400–3,800 m.
Conservation Status
Green-crowned Brilliant
Great Sapphirewing
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.
Great Sapphirewing
A large hummingbird (18 cm, wingspan 28 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 2,500-3,500 m. Brilliant sapphire-blue wings, green body, and long tail. One of the largest hummingbirds. Nectarivore of montane forest, visiting large-flowered Ericaceae.