Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Streak-throated Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis rupurumii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Streak-throated Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis rupurumii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 8.6 cm (3.4 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore and insectivore; extracts nectar from trap-lining flowers and hawks small flying insects in forest … |
| Clutch Size | 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.
Streak-throated Hermit
High, thin peep barely audible beyond few metres; delicate single note repeated softly with long intervals in between.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Streak-throated Hermit
Found in the Guiana Shield from Venezuela and Guyana south through Amazonia to Bolivia. Resident in lowland forest along streams and rivers.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Streak-throated 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
Streak-throated Hermit
Tiny; green-bronze upperparts; buff underparts with fine dark streaking on throat; pale supercilium; white-tipped central tail feathers; Guiana Shield species; streaked throat pattern distinguishes from other small hermits.
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.
Streak-throated Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in humid forests and forest edges of the Guiana Shield and southern Venezuela. Green plumage with streak-patterned throat and rufous underparts. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Often confused with Little Hermit in the field.