Allen's Hummingbird vs Black-billed Streamertail

Selasphorus sasin compared with Trochilus scitulus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Allen's Hummingbird Black-billed Streamertail
Scientific Name Selasphorus sasin Trochilus scitulus
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 8.1 cm (3.2 in) 13.0 cm (5.1 in)
Weight 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz) 4.7 g (0.17 oz)
Diet Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with … Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Black-billed Streamertail only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

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

Black-billed Streamertail

Song

Buzzy, insect-like sustained trill; continuous high-frequency vibration with rapid modulation near nectar flowers.

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.

Black-billed Streamertail

Endemic to the eastern Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Restricted to montane forest. Sometimes treated as subspecies.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

Least Concern

Black-billed Streamertail

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.

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.

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