Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Scintillant Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris compared with Selasphorus scintilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Scintillant Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Selasphorus scintilla |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) | 6.6 cm (2.6 in) |
| Weight | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) | 2.188 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … | Feeds on nectar from low-elevation Costa Rican scrub flowers. Supplements diet with tiny insects and … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
None
Scintillant Hummingbird only
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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Soft, sibilant twittering with airy quality; high light notes cascading gently near flowering vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m elevation. Resident in cloud forest edges.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scintillant 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
Scintillant Hummingbird
Red-billed Streamertail: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; elongated tail streamers; red bill; females plain
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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
One of the world's smallest hummingbirds (6-7 cm). Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m. Males have a flaming orange-red gorget. Nectarivore of cloud forest edges and mountain gardens. Weighs only 2-3 grams.