Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Black-billed Streamertail
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Trochilus scitulus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Black-billed Streamertail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Trochilus scitulus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.7 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| 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.
Black-billed Streamertail
Buzzy, insect-like sustained trill; continuous high-frequency vibration with rapid modulation near nectar flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Black-billed Streamertail
Endemic to the eastern Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Restricted to montane forest. Sometimes treated as subspecies.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Black-billed Streamertail
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
Black-billed Streamertail
Black-faced Coucal: glossy black head; rufous-brown wings; black underparts; red eye; long dark tail; sexually similar plumage
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.
Black-billed Streamertail
A hummingbird (9-10 cm body + long tail streamers in males) endemic to the eastern Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Males similar to Red-billed Streamertail but with a black bill. Nectarivore of montane forest. Sometimes considered a subspecies of Red-billed Streamertail.