Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Koepcke's Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis koepckeae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Koepcke's Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis koepckeae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 12.1 cm (4.8 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.95 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore specializing in Heliconia and other curved tubular flowers. Supplements diet with small spiders and … |
| 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.
Koepcke's Hermit
Deep, hollow churr with resonant quality; prolonged buzzing trill carrying well through dense forest at low frequency.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Koepcke's Hermit
Endemic to Peru in the Ucayali and Madre de Dios drainages. Found in lowland and foothill forest at 200–700 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Koepcke's 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
Koepcke's Hermit
Little Hermit: glittering green crown; pale buff underparts; white pectoral tufts; white postocular stripe; tiny size; decurved 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.
Koepcke's Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes at 800-1,500 m. Green plumage with rufous underparts. Named after Maria Koepcke, a German-Peruvian ornithologist. Classified as Near Threatened due to limited range.