Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem vs White-whiskered Hermit

Lampornis amethystinus compared with Phaethornis yaruqui

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem White-whiskered Hermit
Scientific Name Lampornis amethystinus Phaethornis yaruqui
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 13.1 cm (5.2 in) 11.9 cm (4.7 in)
Weight 5.6000000000000005 g (0.20 oz) 5.416666666666667 g (0.19 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of Mexican and Central American montane pine-oak forest; visits Ericaceae and Salvia. Gleans arthropods. Nectarivore of dense undergrowth flowers. Regularly hawks small flying insects and gleans spiders to meet …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem only

None

White-whiskered Hermit only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Song

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

White-whiskered Hermit

Song

Gentle, melodic warbling with flowing phrases; notes weaving smoothly in quiet musical progression through dappled forest.

Geographic Range & Migration

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

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

White-whiskered Hermit

Endemic to the Pacific slope of Ecuador and northwestern Colombia in lowland humid forest. Sea level to 800 m elevation.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Least Concern

White-whiskered Hermit

About These Birds

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.

White-whiskered Hermit

A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in humid foothill forests of western Colombia and Ecuador. Dark plumage with white whisker-like throat stripes and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. A specialist of Chocó rainforest habitats.

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