Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Blue-vented Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris compared with Saucerottia hoffmanni
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Blue-vented Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Saucerottia hoffmanni |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) | — |
| Weight | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) | 4.85 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … | Feeds on nectar from Costa Rican lowland forest flowers and gardens. Supplements diet with small … |
| Clutch Size | 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
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.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Harsh, nasal chatter with emphatic delivery; rough buzzy notes delivered rapidly with coarse texture.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Found in dry to semi-humid habitats from Honduras to Costa Rica. Resident in gardens and forest edges.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Blue-vented Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Sunda Coucal: dark glossy brown above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long graduated dark tail; red eye; forest dweller
About These Birds
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.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in dry to semi-humid habitats from Honduras to Costa Rica. Green plumage with blue vent. Nectarivore of gardens, scrub, and forest edges. Named after the German naturalist Karl Hoffmann. A Central American near-endemic.