Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs White-bearded Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis hispidus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | White-bearded Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis hispidus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 10.8 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.975 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore visiting Heliconia, Costus, and banana flowers along forest understory routes. Takes small insects opportunistically. |
| 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.
White-bearded Hermit
Sharp, staccato chips in rapid series; clean, emphatic notes delivered rhythmically without inflection or melodic variation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
White-bearded Hermit
Widespread in western Amazonia from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. Found at 100–1,000 m.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
White-bearded 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
White-bearded Hermit
Mexican Hermit: olive-green above; pale whitish below; dark facial mask; white supercilium; pale buff-white supercilium; 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.
White-bearded Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia. Green plumage with a distinctive white beard-like throat stripe and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia flowers.