Gilded Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Hylocharis chrysura compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Gilded Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hylocharis chrysura | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.5 g (0.16 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs and epiphytes. Catches small insects and spiders to meet … | 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
Gilded Hummingbird
Thin, sibilant twittering with airy quality; high light notes cascading softly near flowering canopy trees.
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
Gilded Hummingbird
Found in open habitats from eastern Brazil through Paraguay to Bolivia and Argentina. Resident in cerrado and gardens.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Gilded Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Gilded Hummingbird
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
Gilded Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in open habitats from eastern Brazil through Paraguay to Bolivia and Argentina. Golden-bronze plumage overall. Nectarivore of cerrado, gardens, and forest edges. One of the most common hummingbirds in the southern Neotropics.
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.