Blue Jay vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Cyanocitta cristata comparé à Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Blue Jay | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Cyanocitta cristata | Archilochus colubris |
| Ordre | Passeriformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Corvidae | Trochilidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 28,0 cm (11.0 in) | 8,5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Envergure | 42,0 cm (16.5 in) | 11,0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Poids | 87,0 g (3.07 oz) | 3,1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Omnivorous — nuts (especially acorns), seeds, berries, insects, and occasionally eggs or nestlings of other … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-7 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Blue Jay
Deciduous and mixed forests, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Blue Jay
A harsh, ringing 'jaay-jaay-jaay'. Also mimics Red-tailed Hawk and other species convincingly. Gives soft, liquid 'bell' calls and gurgling whispers in flocks.
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
Blue Jay
Eastern and central North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Some populations migrate irregularly.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Statut de conservation
Blue Jay
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue Jay
Bright blue upperparts with black barring on the wings and tail. White face and underparts with a black necklace. Prominent blue crest.
Stout, straight black bill
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
Blue Jay
The blue jay is a bold, intelligent member of the corvid family known for its striking plumage and loud calls. Blue jays are important dispersers of oak trees, as they cache thousands of acorns each autumn. Their complex social behavior includes mimicking the calls of hawks to scare other birds from feeders.
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.