Bee Hummingbird vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Mellisuga helenae compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bee Hummingbird | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mellisuga helenae | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 5.6 cm (2.2 in) | — |
| Weight | 2.1 g (0.07 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | World's smallest bird; feeds on nectar from tiny Cuban flowers and catches minuscule spiders and … | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bee Hummingbird
Pure, bell-like descending phrase; clear resonant tones stepping smoothly down in musical sequence at dusk.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bee Hummingbird
Endemic to Cuba. Found across the island in forests, gardens, and coastal vegetation from sea level to moderate elevations.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Bee Hummingbird
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
About These Birds
Bee Hummingbird
The world's smallest bird (5-6 cm, 1.6-2 g). Endemic to Cuba. Males have an iridescent pink-red throat. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Weighs less than a US dime. Heart beats 1,200 times per minute. Lays the world's smallest bird eggs (6 mm).
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.