Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Black-breasted Hillstar
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Oreotrochilus melanogaster
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Black-breasted Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Oreotrochilus melanogaster |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 14.4 cm (5.7 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 7.75 g (0.27 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore of Bolivian altiplano; forages at Ericaceae and Chuquiraga in arid puna. Takes 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.
Black-breasted Hillstar
Rapid, light chips in animated sequence; bright staccato notes with bouncy quality during active territorial display.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Black-breasted Hillstar
Endemic to central and southern Peru in the Andes in puna grassland and scrub at 3,500–4,800 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Black-breasted Hillstar
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
Black-breasted Hillstar
Peruvian Sheartail: males with glittering rose-red gorget; metallic green back; white underparts; females green above; pale spotted below
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.
Black-breasted Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in the Andes of central Peru at 3,000-4,500 m. Males have a black breast contrasting with green upperparts and white belly. Nectarivore of puna grasslands and rocky slopes. An endemic of Peru's central Andean highlands.