Mountain Avocetbill vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Opisthoprora euryptera compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mountain Avocetbill | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Opisthoprora euryptera | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.4 g (0.23 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of high montane forest; upturned bill tip accesses pendant epiphyte flowers. Gleans small insects … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Mountain Avocetbill
Thin, high-pitched twittering; delicate cascade of light notes with silvery quality delivered during aerial foraging.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mountain Avocetbill
Found on both Andean slopes in Colombia and Ecuador in cloud forest at 2,000–3,200 m elevation. Uncommon.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Mountain Avocetbill
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Mountain Avocetbill
Cozumel Emerald: tiny; males with glittering magenta gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spots
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
About These Birds
Mountain Avocetbill
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) with a distinctive upturned bill tip, unique among hummingbirds. Green plumage. Found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 2,400-3,500 m. Nectarivore specializing in pendant flowers. The only member of its genus.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.