Violet-headed Hummingbird vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Klais guimeti compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Violet-headed Hummingbird | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Klais guimeti | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 9.7 cm (3.8 in) | — |
| Weight | 2.775 g (0.10 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from lowland and foothill flowers in humid Central and South America. Supplements … | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Harsh, emphatic screech with forceful projection; loud rough call carrying across open terrain assertively.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
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.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Purple-crested Turaco: brilliant iridescent violet-purple crest; glossy green mantle; crimson flight feathers; red orbital ring; dark bill
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet: tiny; males with brilliant orange-gold belly; violet gorget; females green above; spotted buff below
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.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
A small hummingbird (8-10 cm plus tail rackets) found in Andean cloud forests of southeastern Peru and Bolivia at 1,200-2,200 m. Males have rufous leg puffs instead of white. Recently split from Booted Racket-tail. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth.