Cinnamon-throated Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis nattereri compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Cinnamon-throated Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis nattereri | 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 | 2.8 g (0.10 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore following trap-lining routes through Heliconia and Costus flowers. Catches small arthropods for protein. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 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
Cinnamon-throated Hermit
Pure, sustained whistle with bell-like clarity; single note held steadily then gently fading, given from tall forest 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
Cinnamon-throated Hermit
Endemic to the cerrado and caatinga transition zones of central and northeastern Brazil. Found at 200–800 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Cinnamon-throated Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Cinnamon-throated Hermit
White-tipped Sicklebill: rufous underparts with white streaking; dark olive-brown above; white lateral crown stripe; pronounced 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
Cinnamon-throated Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in dry scrubland and gallery forests of central Brazil and eastern Bolivia. Cinnamon-orange throat, green upperparts, and rufous underparts. Nectarivore adapted to cerrado and transition forest habitats.
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.