Reddish Hermit vs Allen's Hummingbird
Phaethornis ruber compared with Selasphorus sasin
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Reddish Hermit | Allen's Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis ruber | Selasphorus sasin |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 6.6 cm (2.6 in) | 8.1 cm (3.2 in) |
| Weight | 2.4 g (0.08 oz) | 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of dense undergrowth flowers. Regularly hawks small flying insects and gleans spiders to meet … | Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Reddish Hermit
Thin, reedy whistle with slightly nasal quality; soft sustained note barely wavering, issued from dense shrub cover.
Allen's Hummingbird
Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.
Geographic Range & Migration
Reddish Hermit
Widespread in humid lowland forests from the Guianas south through Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. Found at 0–900 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
Reddish Hermit
Allen's Hummingbird
About These Birds
Reddish Hermit
A tiny hermit hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in humid forests from the Guianas through Amazonia to Brazil and Bolivia. Rufous-brown plumage overall with a curved bill. Nectarivore of dense forest undergrowth. Visits tiny flowers near the forest floor. One of the smallest hermits.
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.