Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Threnetes leucurus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Pale-tailed Barbthroat |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Threnetes leucurus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 5.42 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Primarily nectarivore; uses its strongly hooked bill to probe for nectar in curved flowers; eats … |
| 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.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Rapid, buzzing trill with insect-like quality; sustained high-frequency vibration followed by softer descending notes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Found in the Amazon basin and Guiana Shield from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Peru and Bolivia. Resident in humid forest interior.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
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
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Bronze-green upperparts; pale greyish-buff underparts; dark malar stripe; tail pale buff-white with dark subterminal band; lacks the strong black banding of Band-tailed Barbthroat; Amazonian species with paler tail pattern.
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.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in humid lowland forests of northern South America and Trinidad. Green plumage with white-tipped tail feathers and a decurved bill. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and Costus flowers. An important lowland forest pollinator.