Tawny-bellied Hermit vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Phaethornis syrmatophorus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tawny-bellied Hermit | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phaethornis syrmatophorus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.2 cm (4.8 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.35 g (0.26 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore with elongated bill suited to pendant tubular flowers. Gleans small spiders and mites from … | 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
Tawny-bellied Hermit
High, crystalline twittering with silvery quality; rapid light notes cascading brightly in animated aerial display sequences.
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
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Found on the eastern Andean slope in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in foothill and lower montane forest. 700–1,800 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Tawny-bellied Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit: iridescent violet-blue throat in males; metallic bronze-green above; white postocular stripe; white-spotted throat
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
Tawny-bellied Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Peru at 1,200-2,500 m elevation. Green plumage with tawny-buff belly and long, curved bill. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and other tubular flowers.
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.