Japanese White-eye vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Zosterops japonicus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Japanese White-eye | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Zosterops japonicus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Passeriformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Zosteropidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 17.0 cm (6.7 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 11.0 g (0.39 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Insects, nectar, and fruit. Active gleaner that flits through foliage and visits flowers. Important pollinator … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2-6 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Japanese White-eye
Broadleaf evergreen forests, gardens, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable and common in East Asian gardens.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Japanese White-eye
Sweet, high-pitched 'tsee-tsee-tsee' whistle and soft melodic warbling. Flocks produce a continuous tinkling chorus. Alarm is a sharper 'tset'. Song is gentle and rhythmic.
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
Japanese White-eye
East Asia including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Japanese White-eye
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Japanese White-eye
Olive-green upperparts with a bright white eye-ring. Yellow throat and undertail coverts. Greyish-white belly.
Thin, pointed, slightly decurved dark bill
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
Japanese White-eye
The Japanese white-eye is a familiar garden bird across East Asia, beloved in Japan where it is called mejiro. These sociable birds form flocks outside the breeding season and are important pollinators of plum and cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, introduced populations in Hawaii have become invasive, competing with native honeycreepers.
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.