Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Green Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis guy
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Green Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis guy |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 5.416666666666667 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore trap-lining Heliconia patches in humid lowland forest. Supplements with arthropods for breeding protein demands. |
| 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.
Green Hermit
Harsh, screaming trill with urgent intensity; loud, rough notes escalating quickly during territorial disputes near flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Green Hermit
Found in humid foothill forests from Trinidad and Costa Rica south through Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador to Bolivia. 200–1,800 m.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Green Hermit
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
Green Hermit
Western Long-tailed Hermit: metallic green above; buff-white below; forked dark tail with pale edges; white postocular stripe; curved bill
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.
Green Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm) found in humid montane forests from Central America to Peru at 400-2,000 m elevation. Brilliant green plumage with dark face mask and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and Passiflora flowers.