Purple-backed Sunbeam vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Aglaeactis aliciae verglichen mit Archilochus colubris

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Purple-backed Sunbeam Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Wissenschaftlicher Name Aglaeactis aliciae Archilochus colubris
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Trochilidae Trochilidae
Erhaltungsstatus Vulnerable Least Concern
Länge 8,5 cm (3.3 in)
Flügelspannweite 16,2 cm (6.4 in) 11,0 cm (4.3 in)
Gewicht 7,4 g (0.26 oz) 3,1 g (0.11 oz)
Ernährung Nectarivore of restricted Peruvian high puna; visits Chuquiraga and cushion-plant flowers. Gleans tiny arthropods. Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over …
Gelegegröße -- 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Purple-backed Sunbeam
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8,5 cm
Flügelspannweite
Purple-backed Sunbeam 16,2 cm
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11,0 cm
Gewicht
Purple-backed Sunbeam 7,4 g
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3,1 g
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

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Purple-backed Sunbeam only

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird only

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.

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Song & Call Comparison

Purple-backed Sunbeam

Gesang

Sharp, buzzy chip followed by rapid trill; emphatic onset launching into rough cascading notes typical of sunbeam.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Gesang

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Purple-backed Sunbeam

Endemic to Peru along the Río Marañón drainage in the arid upper Andes. 2,400–3,800 m. Critically endangered.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Vulnerable

Purple-backed Sunbeam

Least Concern

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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How to Tell Them Apart

Purple-backed Sunbeam

Gefieder

Blue-capped Puffleg: males with brilliant blue cap and gorget; metallic green body; white leg puffs; females green above; spotted

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Gefieder

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.

Schnabel

Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers

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About These Birds

Purple-backed Sunbeam

A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) endemic to a small area in the Andes of northern Peru at 2,900-3,500 m. Purple-backed with buff underparts. Nectarivore of montane scrub. Classified as Endangered due to extremely restricted range. One of Peru's rarest hummingbirds.

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.

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