Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Olive-spotted Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris compared with Talaphorus chlorocercus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Olive-spotted Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Talaphorus chlorocercus |
| 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) | — |
| 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 diverse forest flowers, hovering briefly at each bloom. Takes small insects … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
Olive-spotted 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.
Olive-spotted Hummingbird
Melodic, descending phrase with warm rich timbre; smooth notes flowing warmly downward in relaxed sequence.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Olive-spotted Hummingbird
Found in humid lowland forests from Colombia to Peru and western Brazil. Resident in western Amazonian lowlands.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Olive-spotted 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
Olive-spotted Hummingbird
Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; ground-dwelling habits
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.
Olive-spotted Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Colombia to Peru and western Brazil. Green plumage with olive spots on flanks. Nectarivore of forest edges and river-edge habitats. An uncommon species of western Amazonian lowlands.