Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Archilochus colubris compared with Urosticte benjamini
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Purple-bibbed Whitetip |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Archilochus colubris | Urosticte benjamini |
| 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) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) | 4.0 g (0.14 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … | Nectarivore of Ecuadorian and Colombian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and epiphyte flowers. Gleans small arthropods. |
| 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.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Rough, buzzy chatter with energetic rhythm; coarse notes delivered rapidly with distinctive raw texture near territory.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Found on the western and central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador in cloud forest. 800–2,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
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
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Buff-winged Starfrontlet (alt): tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green; buff wing stripe; females green above; 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.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Ecuador at 1,000-2,400 m. Green plumage with purple bib and white tail tips. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Named whitetip for the white-tipped tail feathers.