Black-eared Fairy vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Heliothryx auritus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-eared Fairy | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliothryx auritus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore robbing nectar from large flowers in forest canopy. Gleans small spiders and soft-bodied insects … | 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-eared Fairy
Soft, liquid notes in gentle cascade; flowing sequence of mellow tones with subtle tremolo in misty montane forest.
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-eared Fairy
Widespread in Amazonian lowlands from the Guianas south through Brazil and west to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 0–700 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black-eared Fairy
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-eared Fairy
Blue-chinned Sapphire: males with shining blue chin; metallic green above; white pectoral tufts; females green above with blue-spotted throat
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-eared Fairy
A slender, elegant hummingbird (11-12 cm) with a long, forked tail, glittering green plumage, and bold black ear patches. Found in humid lowland forests from eastern Colombia and Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Nectarivore of forest canopy. Named for its graceful flight.
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.