Mexican Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis mexicanus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mexican Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis mexicanus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.4 cm (5.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.5 g (0.16 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore adapted to curved corolla flowers via trap-lining. Supplements nectar with small spiders caught near … | 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
Mexican Hermit
Rapid, buzzy trill rising in pitch; ascending cascade of rough notes gaining speed and urgency before abrupt stop.
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
Mexican Hermit
Endemic to northwestern Mexico in Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Nayarit in dry tropical forest. Sea level to 1,200 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Mexican Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Mexican Hermit
Fiery-topaz: brilliant iridescent fiery-orange crown disc; violet-blue gorget; metallic green back; females with orange-rufous crown patch
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
Mexican Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the Pacific slope of western Mexico from Nayarit to Oaxaca. Green plumage with buff underparts and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of tropical dry and humid forests. Recently split from Long-billed Hermit.
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.