Little Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis longuemareus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Little Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis longuemareus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 8.6 cm (3.4 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.3 g (0.12 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily nectar-feeding; uses exceptionally curved bill to access heliconia blossoms; supplements with small insects. | 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
Little Hermit
Loud, ringing whistle with bold projection; clear single-pitch call carrying impressively across open montane grassland.
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
Little Hermit
Found from Trinidad and northern Venezuela west through much of Amazonia to Bolivia. Resident in lowland forest undergrowth near streams.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Little Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Little Hermit
Tiny; bronze-green upperparts with rufous-buff rump band; buff underparts; pale buff supercilium and malar stripe bordering dark face mask; white-tipped elongated central tail feathers; Trinidad and Venezuela species.
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
Little Hermit
A tiny hermit hummingbird (8-9 cm), one of the smallest hummingbirds. Found in humid forests from Mexico to Brazil and Trinidad. Green upperparts with rufous-buff underparts and a curved bill. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting small flowers along forest streams and trails.
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.