Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Needle-billed Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis philippii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Needle-billed Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis philippii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 11.4 cm (4.5 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.9 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore following trap-lining routes through Heliconia and Costus flowers. Catches small arthropods for protein. |
| 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.
Needle-billed Hermit
Soft, whispered twittering with delicate quality; barely audible sequence of minute high notes almost lost in ambient sound.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Needle-billed Hermit
Found in lowland rainforest of Peru and adjacent Bolivia in the upper Amazon basin. Sea level to 600 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Needle-billed 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
Needle-billed Hermit
Minute Hermit: metallic green above; buff underparts; white postocular stripe; tiny size; decurved bill; streaked throat; pale belly
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.
Needle-billed Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (12-14 cm) found in humid lowland forests from eastern Peru to western Brazil. Green plumage with rufous underparts and an unusually straight, needle-like bill for a hermit. Nectarivore of Amazonian forest undergrowth.