Green-throated Mountain-gem vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Lampornis viridipallens compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-throated Mountain-gem | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lampornis viridipallens | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 12.7 cm (5.0 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.540000000000001 g (0.20 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Mexican highland forest; visits Salvia and other forest-edge flowers. Catches small insects in … | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Green-throated Mountain-gem
Rapid, mechanical twittering; quick staccato notes tumbling freely in animated sequence above flowering canopy.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Green-throated Mountain-gem
Found in highland forest from southern Mexico through Guatemala and Honduras. 1,000–2,800 m elevation.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Green-throated Mountain-gem
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Green-throated Mountain-gem
Volcano Hummingbird: males with glittering ruby gorget varying by subspecies; metallic green above; females green above; spotted below
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
Green-throated Mountain-gem
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the highlands of Guatemala and southern Mexico at 1,200-3,000 m. Males have a green throat patch. Nectarivore of cloud forest and pine-oak forest edges. A Central American highland endemic.
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.