Long-billed Starthroat vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliomaster longirostris compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Long-billed Starthroat | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliomaster longirostris | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.540000000000001 g (0.23 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of lowland and foothill open habitats; visits diverse flowers at forest edges and clearings. … | 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
Long-billed Starthroat
Soft, liquid notes cascading gently; mellow flowing sequence with subtle variation characteristic of Andean forest species.
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
Long-billed Starthroat
Widespread from southern Mexico through Central America to Bolivia, Brazil, and Trinidad. Prefers open habitats. 0–1,200 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Long-billed Starthroat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Long-billed Starthroat
Stripe-breasted Starthroat (alt): tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green above; females plain green above; 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
Long-billed Starthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in humid forests from southern Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil. Long, slightly decurved bill. Green plumage with a glittering blue-purple throat. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Widespread Neotropical species.
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.