Scale-throated Hermit vs Allen's Hummingbird

Phaethornis eurynome compared with Selasphorus sasin

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Scale-throated Hermit Allen's Hummingbird
Scientific Name Phaethornis eurynome Selasphorus sasin
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 11.7 cm (4.6 in) 8.1 cm (3.2 in)
Weight 4.96 g (0.17 oz) 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of long-tubed lowland flowers, especially Heliconia. Gleans small insects and spiders from leaf surfaces. 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

Scale-throated Hermit only

None

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Scale-throated Hermit

Song

Buzzy, high-pitched trill sustained for several seconds; continuous vibrating note with little variation, insect-like quality.

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

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

Geographic Range & Migration

Scale-throated Hermit

Endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil from Minas Gerais south to Rio Grande do Sul. Found at 100–1,500 m.

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

Scale-throated Hermit

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

About These Birds

Scale-throated Hermit

A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (14-15 cm) found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. Green plumage with scaled throat pattern and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges.

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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