Green-bearded Helmetcrest vs Allen's Hummingbird

Oxypogon guerinii compared with Selasphorus sasin

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Green-bearded Helmetcrest Allen's Hummingbird
Scientific Name Oxypogon guerinii Selasphorus sasin
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 14.1 cm (5.6 in) 8.1 cm (3.2 in)
Weight 5.175000000000001 g (0.18 oz) 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of Colombian páramo; forages at frailejón (Espeletia) and cushion plants. Catches small insects near … Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Green-bearded Helmetcrest only

Allen's Hummingbird only

Song & Call Comparison

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

Song

Sharp, high-pitched squeak with penetrating quality; sudden emphatic note given repeatedly near active feeding territory.

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.

Geographic Range & Migration

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

Endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia in high páramo at 3,200–4,800 m elevation. Locally common.

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

About These Birds

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

A small hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia at 3,500-4,500 m. Males have a green beard and erect crest. Nectarivore of páramo and treeline habitats, visiting Espeletia and Ericaceae. A Colombian endemic of high-altitude páramo.

Allen's Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.

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