Koepcke's Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis koepckeae compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Koepcke's Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis koepckeae | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.1 cm (4.8 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.95 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
Koepcke's Hermit
Deep, hollow churr with resonant quality; prolonged buzzing trill carrying well through dense forest at low frequency.
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
Koepcke's Hermit
Endemic to Peru in the Ucayali and Madre de Dios drainages. Found in lowland and foothill forest at 200–700 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Koepcke's Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Koepcke's Hermit
Little Hermit: glittering green crown; pale buff underparts; white pectoral tufts; white postocular stripe; tiny size; 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
Koepcke's Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes at 800-1,500 m. Green plumage with rufous underparts. Named after Maria Koepcke, a German-Peruvian ornithologist. Classified as Near Threatened due to limited range.
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.