Black-tailed Trainbearer vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Lesbia victoriae compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-tailed Trainbearer | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lesbia victoriae | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.9 g (0.17 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Andean dry inter-valley scrub; visits Salvia, Lupinus, and Calceolaria. Supplements with small arthropods. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Black-tailed Trainbearer only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Sharp, crackling trill with percussive edge; rapid dry notes delivered forcefully near active competitive territory.
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
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Found in high Andean scrub and open habitats from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,500–4,200 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Cuban Emerald: males with deep purple gorget; metallic bronze-green above; white flanks; females plain green above; pale spotted below
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
Black-tailed Trainbearer
A spectacular hummingbird (10 cm body + 15 cm tail in males) found in Andean highlands from Colombia to Peru at 2,500-4,000 m. Males have extraordinarily long, black outer tail streamers. Nectarivore of páramo and cloud forest edges. Named for its dramatic trailing tail feathers.
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.