Marvelous Spatuletail vs Allen's Hummingbird
Loddigesia mirabilis compared with Selasphorus sasin
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Marvelous Spatuletail | Allen's Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Loddigesia mirabilis | Selasphorus sasin |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.4 cm (3.3 in) | 8.1 cm (3.2 in) |
| Weight | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) | 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of northern Peruvian cloud forest. Visits Ericaceae and Alstroemeria flowers; supplements with small arthropods. | Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Marvelous Spatuletail
Extraordinarily high, thin squeak barely audible; minute twittering notes almost beyond perception, given rarely by male.
Allen's Hummingbird
Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.
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.
Allen's Hummingbird
Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.
Conservation Status
Marvelous Spatuletail
Allen's Hummingbird
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.
Allen's Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.