Stripe-throated Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis striigularis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Stripe-throated Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis striigularis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 7.8 cm (3.1 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 2.6399999999999997 g (0.09 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
Stripe-throated Hermit
Soft, melodic warbling with gentle rhythm; loose phrase of mellow notes rising and falling without rigid structure.
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
Stripe-throated Hermit
Widespread from southern Mexico through Central America to western Ecuador and northwestern Venezuela. Found at 0–1,500 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Stripe-throated Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Stripe-throated Hermit
Band-tailed Barbthroat: greenish-bronze above; white underparts; white supercilium; black-tipped reddish tail with white outer rectrices; hermit shape
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
Stripe-throated Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (9-10 cm) found from southern Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Peru. Striped throat, green upperparts, and rufous underparts with pale tail tips. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges. One of the most widespread small hermits.
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.