Marvelous Spatuletail vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Loddigesia mirabilis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Marvelous Spatuletail | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Loddigesia mirabilis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 8.4 cm (3.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of northern Peruvian cloud forest. Visits Ericaceae and Alstroemeria flowers; 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
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Marvelous Spatuletail
Extraordinarily high, thin squeak barely audible; minute twittering notes almost beyond perception, given rarely by male.
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
Marvelous Spatuletail
Endemic to a small area of the Río Utcubamba valley in Amazonas region, Peru at 2,100–2,900 m. Endangered.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Marvelous Spatuletail
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Marvelous Spatuletail
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
Marvelous Spatuletail
One of the world's most extraordinary hummingbirds (10 cm body, males with 15 cm tail rackets). Males have two extremely long outer tail feathers ending in large, iridescent violet-blue discs. Endemic to a tiny area of northern Peru. Critically Endangered. Fewer than 1,000 individuals.
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.