Purple-backed Thornbill vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ramphomicron microrhynchum verglichen mit Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Purple-backed Thornbill | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Ramphomicron microrhynchum | Archilochus colubris |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familie | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | 8,5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Flügelspannweite | 10,2 cm (4.0 in) | 11,0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Gewicht | 3,3 g (0.12 oz) | 3,1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Ernährung | Nectarivore foraging at mossy treeline vegetation and compact Ericaceae blooms. Supplements with small insects. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Gelegegröße | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
Purple-backed Thornbill only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Purple-backed Thornbill
Bright, cheerful twittering with bubbling quality; light rapid notes cascading freely in animated display near flowers.
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.
Geographic Range & Migration
Purple-backed Thornbill
Widespread in high Andean habitats from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 2,000–4,400 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Erhaltungsstatus
Purple-backed Thornbill
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Purple-backed Thornbill
Steely-vented Hummingbird: males with iridescent ruby-red gorget; metallic green above; white postocular stripe; blue-steel tail
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
About These Birds
Purple-backed Thornbill
A tiny hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 2,000-3,800 m. Males have iridescent purple back. Tiny, short bill. Nectarivore of high-elevation flowering shrubs. One of the smallest hummingbirds in the Andes.
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.