Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Eastern Mountaineer
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Oreonympha nobilis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Eastern Mountaineer |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Oreonympha nobilis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 8.333333333333334 g (0.29 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore of Andean dry valley scrub; visits Cactaceae, Puya, and Chuquiraga flowers. Catches small insects … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Eastern Mountaineer
Harsh, nasal chatter with buzzy overtone; rough emphatic notes delivered rapidly with raw coarse texture.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Eastern Mountaineer
Endemic to Peru in the upper Apurímac and Urubamba drainages in arid high-altitude scrub. 2,500–4,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Eastern Mountaineer
How to Tell Them Apart
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
Eastern Mountaineer
White-vented Plumeleteer: males glittering violet gorget; metallic green; white vent; females green above; pale spotted underparts
About These Birds
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.
Eastern Mountaineer
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-14 cm) endemic to the Andes of Peru at 2,800-4,500 m. Brown plumage with iridescent throat patch and long, forked tail. Nectarivore of puna scrub and Polylepis woodland. The only member of its genus. A Peruvian endemic.