Lyre-tailed Hummingbird vs Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Nesophlox lyrura compared with Urosticte benjamini
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird | Purple-bibbed Whitetip |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nesophlox lyrura | Urosticte benjamini |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) | 4.0 g (0.14 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore of Ecuadorian and Colombian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and epiphyte flowers. Gleans small arthropods. |
| 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.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Rough, buzzy chatter with energetic rhythm; coarse notes delivered rapidly with distinctive raw texture near territory.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Found on the western and central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador in cloud forest. 800–2,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
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
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Buff-winged Starfrontlet (alt): tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green; buff wing stripe; females green above; spots
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.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Ecuador at 1,000-2,400 m. Green plumage with purple bib and white tail tips. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Named whitetip for the white-tipped tail feathers.