Black-throated Brilliant vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliodoxa schreibersii compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-throated Brilliant | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliodoxa schreibersii | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.9 cm (5.5 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 8.5 g (0.30 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Amazonian foothill forest; visits large-flowered shrubs and epiphytes. Supplements with small arthropods. | 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
Black-throated Brilliant
Buzzy, sustained trill with insect-like monotony; continuous low vibration with minimal variation throughout delivery.
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
Black-throated Brilliant
Found in lowland and foothill humid forest from Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 0–1,400 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black-throated Brilliant
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-throated Brilliant
Giant Hummingbird (alt): males with iridescent blue gorget; metallic green; very large; white rump; females plain green; spots
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
Black-throated Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in humid forests from eastern Colombia through Ecuador and Peru at 300-1,500 m. Males have a black throat patch with green glitter. Nectarivore of foothill forest. Named after the Austrian naturalist Carl von Schreibers.
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.