Allen's Hummingbird vs Purple-crowned Plovercrest

Selasphorus sasin compared with Stephanoxis loddigesii

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Allen's Hummingbird Purple-crowned Plovercrest
Scientific Name Selasphorus sasin Stephanoxis loddigesii
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 8.1 cm (3.2 in) 9.5 cm (3.7 in)
Weight 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz) 3.2 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with … Hovering nectarivore of lowland and montane forest, probing Heliconia and garden flowers. Supplements with insects …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Purple-crowned Plovercrest only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.

Purple-crowned Plovercrest

Song

High, insect-like buzz sustained steadily; thin monotone with rapid modulation barely distinguishable from background insects.

Geographic Range & Migration

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.

Purple-crowned Plovercrest

Found in southeastern Brazil. Resident in Atlantic Forest edges and secondary growth. An Atlantic Forest near-endemic.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

Least Concern

Purple-crowned Plovercrest

About These Birds

Allen's Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.

Purple-crowned Plovercrest

A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in southeastern Brazil. Males have a purple-violet crest. Nectarivore of Atlantic Forest edges and secondary growth. Recently split from Green-crowned Plovercrest. An Atlantic Forest near-endemic.

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