Blue-tufted Starthroat vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliomaster furcifer compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue-tufted Starthroat | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliomaster furcifer | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 10.8 cm (4.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.7 g (0.20 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of open Argentine and Bolivian habitats; visits diverse shrub flowers. Catches small insects in … | 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
Shared Habitats
Blue-tufted Starthroat only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Buzzy, insect-like trill with rapid modulation; high-frequency buzz sustained briefly then repeated after pause.
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
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Found from Bolivia and Brazil south to Argentina and Uruguay in open woodland and scrub. Sea level to 1,500 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird: males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic bronze-green; sparkling tail; females green above; spotted
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
Blue-tufted Starthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in open habitats from Venezuela and the Guianas through Brazil to Argentina. Green plumage with blue throat tufts (males) and a long, forked tail. Nectarivore of savanna, gardens, and forest edges. Widespread in southern South America.
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.