Sooty-capped Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis augusti compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sooty-capped Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis augusti | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.4 cm (4.5 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.916666666666667 g (0.17 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore specializing in Heliconia and other curved tubular flowers. Supplements diet with small spiders and … | 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
Sooty-capped Hermit
Rough, scratchy chatter with coarse texture; series of dry notes scraping together in loose rhythm near nest site.
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
Sooty-capped Hermit
Found in arid scrub and forest edges of northern Venezuela and adjacent Colombia, including Margarita Island. Sea level to 1,200 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Sooty-capped Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Sooty-capped Hermit
Great-billed Hermit: tawny underparts; greenish-olive crown; dark mask; white supercilium; massive decurved reddish-based bill; long tail
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
Sooty-capped Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (12-14 cm) found in montane forests from Venezuela to Peru at 800-2,400 m elevation. Dark sooty cap contrasting with green body and rufous rump. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges. Known for its deep, resonant song.
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.