Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Tawny-bellied Hermit
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Phaethornis syrmatophorus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Tawny-bellied Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Phaethornis syrmatophorus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 12.2 cm (4.8 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 7.35 g (0.26 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore with elongated bill suited to pendant tubular flowers. Gleans small spiders and mites from … |
| 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.
Tawny-bellied Hermit
High, crystalline twittering with silvery quality; rapid light notes cascading brightly in animated aerial display sequences.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Found on the eastern Andean slope in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in foothill and lower montane forest. 700–1,800 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Tawny-bellied 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
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit: iridescent violet-blue throat in males; metallic bronze-green above; white postocular stripe; white-spotted throat
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.
Tawny-bellied Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Peru at 1,200-2,500 m elevation. Green plumage with tawny-buff belly and long, curved bill. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and other tubular flowers.