Rufous-throated Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Hylocharis sapphirina compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-throated Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hylocharis sapphirina | 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 | 4.239999999999999 g (0.15 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | 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
Rufous-throated Hummingbird
Sharp, piercing screech with urgent character; sudden loud rough call given during aerial territorial chase.
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
Rufous-throated Hummingbird
Found in humid lowland forests from Colombia through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in forest edges.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Rufous-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-throated Hummingbird
Violet Coucal: brilliant violet-blue iridescent body; rufous wings; dark graduated tail; red eye; violet iridescence distinctive
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
Rufous-throated Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Colombia through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Males have a rufous-red throat. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest edges and river-edge habitats. Often confused with the similar Gilded Hummingbird.
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.