Keel-billed Toucan vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ramphastos sulfuratus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Keel-billed Toucan | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Piciformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Ramphastidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests and forest edges from sea level to about 1,900 meters.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Produces a repeated frog-like croaking 'prrrek-prrrek' or 'terrio-terrio'. Not melodic; the call resembles a mechanical rattle or frog. Also gives bill-clattering.
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
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Keel-billed Toucan
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Keel-billed Toucan
Black body with a bright yellow throat and chest. Red undertail coverts. The enormous bill is green with orange sides, a blue patch, and a red tip.
Enormous, lightweight, multicolored bill up to 15 cm long — green, orange, blue, and red
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
Keel-billed Toucan
The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize and one of the most recognizable birds in the Neotropics. Its oversized bill, which can be a third of its body length, is actually very light due to its hollow honeycomb structure. Toucans roost communally, with up to six adults squeezing into a single tree cavity.
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.