Long-tailed Hermit vs Great Sapphirewing
Phaethornis superciliosus compared with Pterophanes cyanopterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Long-tailed Hermit | Great Sapphirewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis superciliosus | Pterophanes cyanopterus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) | 10.05 g (0.35 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of dense undergrowth flowers. Regularly hawks small flying insects and gleans spiders to meet … | Nectarivore of high Andean cloud forest and treeline; one of the largest hummingbirds. Visits Ericaceae … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Long-tailed Hermit
Thin, sibilant hissing trill; continuous soft buzz with slight pulsing quality, issued during slow hovering near blossoms.
Great Sapphirewing
Buzzy, insect-like trill with pulsing rhythm; high-frequency vibration with slight amplitude modulation near flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Long-tailed Hermit
Found in lowland humid forest from Colombia and Venezuela east through the Guianas and south through Amazonian Brazil. 0–700 m.
Great Sapphirewing
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,400–3,800 m.
Conservation Status
Long-tailed Hermit
Great Sapphirewing
About These Birds
Long-tailed Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through the Guianas to northern Brazil. Green plumage with long, curved bill and very long, white-tipped central tail feathers. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Males gather in singing leks.
Great Sapphirewing
A large hummingbird (18 cm, wingspan 28 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 2,500-3,500 m. Brilliant sapphire-blue wings, green body, and long tail. One of the largest hummingbirds. Nectarivore of montane forest, visiting large-flowered Ericaceae.