Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Mexican Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis mexicanus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Mexican Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis mexicanus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 13.4 cm (5.3 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.5 g (0.16 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore adapted to curved corolla flowers via trap-lining. Supplements nectar with small spiders caught near … |
| 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.
Mexican Hermit
Rapid, buzzy trill rising in pitch; ascending cascade of rough notes gaining speed and urgency before abrupt stop.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Mexican Hermit
Endemic to northwestern Mexico in Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Nayarit in dry tropical forest. Sea level to 1,200 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican 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
Mexican Hermit
Fiery-topaz: brilliant iridescent fiery-orange crown disc; violet-blue gorget; metallic green back; females with orange-rufous crown patch
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.
Mexican Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the Pacific slope of western Mexico from Nayarit to Oaxaca. Green plumage with buff underparts and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of tropical dry and humid forests. Recently split from Long-billed Hermit.