Coppery-headed Emerald vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Microchera cupreiceps compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Coppery-headed Emerald | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Microchera cupreiceps | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.15 g (0.11 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from diverse forest flowers, hovering briefly at each bloom. Takes small insects … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Coppery-headed Emerald 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
Coppery-headed Emerald
Rough, grating buzz with coarse texture; harsh sustained vibration carrying across open scrubby hillside.
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
Coppery-headed Emerald
Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica at 700-1,600 m. Classified as Near Threatened. A Costa Rican endemic.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Coppery-headed Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Coppery-headed Emerald
Little Brown Bustard: brown-vermiculated above; pale buff below; white wing patches; short streaked crest; sexually similar plumage
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
Coppery-headed Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica at 700-1,600 m. Males have a glittering copper-green crown and white breast. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. A Costa Rican endemic. Classified as Near Threatened.
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.