Violet-headed Hummingbird vs Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Klais guimeti compared with Lampornis amethystinus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Violet-headed Hummingbird Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Scientific Name Klais guimeti Lampornis amethystinus
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 9.7 cm (3.8 in) 13.1 cm (5.2 in)
Weight 2.775 g (0.10 oz) 5.6000000000000005 g (0.20 oz)
Diet Feeds on nectar from lowland and foothill flowers in humid Central and South America. Supplements … Nectarivore of Mexican and Central American montane pine-oak forest; visits Ericaceae and Salvia. Gleans arthropods.
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Violet-headed Hummingbird only

None

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Violet-headed Hummingbird

Song

Harsh, emphatic screech with forceful projection; loud rough call carrying across open terrain assertively.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Song

Pure, sustained flute-like tone held steady; single clear note with barely perceptible vibrato in tropical shade.

Geographic Range & Migration

Violet-headed Hummingbird

Found in humid forests from Honduras to Bolivia at 400-1,500 m elevation. Resident in lowland and foothill forests.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Found in montane forest from Mexico south through Guatemala and Honduras to El Salvador. 1,000–3,200 m.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Violet-headed Hummingbird

Least Concern

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

About These Birds

Violet-headed Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8 cm) found in humid forests from Honduras to Bolivia at 400-1,500 m. Males have an iridescent violet-blue head. Green body. Nectarivore of forest edges and gaps. Named after the French ornithologist Jules Bourcier, who described it as Guimet's specimen.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in mountain forests from Mexico to Honduras at 1,000-3,000 m. Males have an amethyst-purple throat. Nectarivore of pine-oak and cloud forest. Commonly visits feeders in Mexican highland gardens.

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