Straight-billed Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis bourcieri compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Straight-billed Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis bourcieri | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.2 g (0.15 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of long-tubed lowland flowers, especially Heliconia. Gleans small insects and spiders from leaf surfaces. | 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
Straight-billed Hermit
Crisp, musical chip note with ringing quality; single bright note repeated at measured intervals from prominent perch.
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
Straight-billed Hermit
Widespread in lowland Amazonia from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to Brazil. 0–800 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Straight-billed Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Straight-billed Hermit
Cinnamon-throated Hermit: deep iridescent violet crown; glittering green gorget; cinnamon-buff throat; buff-white undertail; decurved bill
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
Straight-billed Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia. Green plumage with a notably straight bill, unusual among hermits. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Named after the French naturalist Jules Bourcier.
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.