Tapajos Hermit vs Great Sapphirewing
Phaethornis aethopygus compared with Pterophanes cyanopterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tapajos Hermit | Great Sapphirewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis aethopygus | Pterophanes cyanopterus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.2 cm (3.2 in) | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) | 10.05 g (0.35 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar generalist visiting a wide range of forest flowers; also catches small arthropods by aerial … | Nectarivore of high Andean cloud forest and treeline; one of the largest hummingbirds. Visits Ericaceae … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Tapajos Hermit
Rapid, bubbling series of soft notes; pleasant liquid twittering reminiscent of water over pebbles in a shallow stream.
Great Sapphirewing
Buzzy, insect-like trill with pulsing rhythm; high-frequency vibration with slight amplitude modulation near flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Tapajos Hermit
Found in the Amazon basin in Brazil, primarily along the Tapajós River and its tributaries. Resident in humid lowland forest undergrowth.
Great Sapphirewing
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,400–3,800 m.
Conservation Status
Tapajos Hermit
Great Sapphirewing
How to Tell Them Apart
Tapajos Hermit
Small hermit; bronze-green upperparts with orange-buff rump; pale buff underparts with faint streaking; pale supercilium; white-tipped elongated central tail feathers; Amazonian species recently split; orange-buff rump distinctive among small hermits.
Great Sapphirewing
About These Birds
Tapajos Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (10-11 cm) found along the Tapajós River basin in central Brazil. Green plumage with rufous underparts. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Recently described as a species distinct from other Phaethornis hermits based on vocal and plumage differences.
Great Sapphirewing
A large hummingbird (18 cm, wingspan 28 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 2,500-3,500 m. Brilliant sapphire-blue wings, green body, and long tail. One of the largest hummingbirds. Nectarivore of montane forest, visiting large-flowered Ericaceae.