Great Sapphirewing vs Sooty Barbthroat
Pterophanes cyanopterus compared with Threnetes niger
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Sapphirewing | Sooty Barbthroat |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pterophanes cyanopterus | Threnetes niger |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 10.05 g (0.35 oz) | 5.8 g (0.20 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of high Andean cloud forest and treeline; one of the largest hummingbirds. Visits Ericaceae … | Primarily nectarivore visiting tubular flowers; supplements diet with small insects and spiders for protein. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Sapphirewing
Buzzy, insect-like trill with pulsing rhythm; high-frequency vibration with slight amplitude modulation near flowers.
Sooty Barbthroat
Melodic, descending whistle with rich timbre; smooth pure tone dropping gracefully through several semitones then fading.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Sapphirewing
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,400–3,800 m.
Sooty Barbthroat
Found in a restricted range in northeastern Brazil and adjacent French Guiana. Resident in coastal rainforest. Rare and locally distributed.
Conservation Status
Great Sapphirewing
Sooty Barbthroat
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Sapphirewing
Sooty Barbthroat
Dark sooty-brown and green upperparts; sooty-dark throat and breast; belly pale grey-buff; tail dark with pale tip; Guiana region endemic; distinctly darker and sootier below than other barbthroats with heavily …
About These Birds
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.
Sooty Barbthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in humid lowland forests of the eastern Amazon basin and the Guianas. Dark sooty-green plumage. Nectarivore of dense forest undergrowth. One of the least known hermit hummingbirds due to its restricted range in remote forests.