Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Black-billed Streamertail
Archilochus colubris compared with Trochilus scitulus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Black-billed Streamertail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Trochilus scitulus |
| 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) | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) |
| Weight | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) | 4.7 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 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.
Black-billed Streamertail
Buzzy, insect-like sustained trill; continuous high-frequency vibration with rapid modulation near nectar flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Black-billed Streamertail
Endemic to the eastern Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Restricted to montane forest. Sometimes treated as subspecies.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black-billed Streamertail
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
Black-billed Streamertail
Black-faced Coucal: glossy black head; rufous-brown wings; black underparts; red eye; long dark tail; sexually similar plumage
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.
Black-billed Streamertail
A hummingbird (9-10 cm body + long tail streamers in males) endemic to the eastern Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Males similar to Red-billed Streamertail but with a black bill. Nectarivore of montane forest. Sometimes considered a subspecies of Red-billed Streamertail.