Giant Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Patagona gigas compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Giant Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Patagona gigas | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 27.1 cm (10.7 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 18.925 g (0.67 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore; world's largest hummingbird. Forages at Puya and Agave flowers, hovering briefly then perching. Catches … | 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
Giant Hummingbird
Soft, lilting melody with flute-like purity; smooth notes weaving gently in pleasant sequence at forest edge.
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
Giant Hummingbird
Found along the Andes from Ecuador south through Peru and Bolivia to Argentina and Chile. 2,000–4,500 m. World's largest hummingbird.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Giant Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Giant Hummingbird
Purple-throated Woodstar (alt): males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic bronze-green; females green above; spotted buff below
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
Giant Hummingbird
The world's largest hummingbird (21-23 cm, weight 18-24 g), roughly the size of a European Starling. Green-brown plumage. Found in open habitats along the Andes from Colombia to Chile and Argentina at 2,000-4,500 m. Nectarivore of cacti and large flowers. Unusually slow wingbeat for a hummingbird.
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.