Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Peruvian Sheartail
Archilochus colubris compared with Thaumastura cora
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Peruvian Sheartail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Thaumastura cora |
| 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) | 8.1 cm (3.2 in) |
| Weight | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) | 2.4 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … | Nectarivore hovering at low-growing flowers in coastal scrub. Supplements nectar diet with tiny spiders and … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
Peruvian Sheartail 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.
Peruvian Sheartail
Delicate, purring trill with silvery shimmer; thin high notes given softly near Peruvian Andean flowers at altitude.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Peruvian Sheartail
Found along the arid Pacific coast of Peru from Lima to Tacna. Resident in desert scrub and coastal gardens at low elevations.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Peruvian Sheartail
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
Peruvian Sheartail
Sparkling Violetear (alt): males with deep iridescent violet gorget; metallic green body; iridescent ear patches; females green with spots
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.
Peruvian Sheartail
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm plus elongated tail in males, total 13-14 cm) found in arid coastal Peru. Males have a deeply forked, sheartail-shaped tail with elongated outer feathers. Nectarivore of desert scrub and gardens. A Peruvian near-endemic of coastal Sechura desert habitats.