Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Green-backed Firecrown
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Sephanoides sephaniodes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Green-backed Firecrown |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Sephanoides sephaniodes |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 6.583333333333333 g (0.23 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore foraging at diverse temperate-zone flowers in Chile and Argentina, including Fuchsia and Embothrium. Takes … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| 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.
Green-backed Firecrown
Crisp, whistled descending phrase; clean notes stepping down smoothly with precision and musical elegance at dawn.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Green-backed Firecrown
Found along the length of Chile and western Argentina in temperate forest and scrub. Sea level to 2,000 m. Migratory.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Green-backed Firecrown
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
Green-backed Firecrown
Black Metaltail: males shining green with black-metallic gorget; white postocular stripe; females green above; white-spotted buff underparts
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.
Green-backed Firecrown
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in temperate forests of southern South America from central Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Green plumage with coppery-green crown. The southernmost hummingbird species, tolerating sub-zero temperatures. Nectarivore of native Fuchsia and Embothrium.