European Bee-eater vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Merops apiaster comparé à Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | European Bee-eater | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Merops apiaster | Archilochus colubris |
| Ordre | Coraciiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Meropidae | Trochilidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 28,0 cm (11.0 in) | 8,5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Envergure | 38,0 cm (15.0 in) | 11,0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Poids | 56,0 g (1.98 oz) | 3,1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-10 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Aucun(e)
European Bee-eater only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
European Bee-eater
Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
European Bee-eater
A liquid, melodic 'pruik-pruik' or rolling 'prruup-pruup' in flight. Flocks give a distinctive far-carrying bubbling call audible before birds are seen. Considered a pleasant sound.
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
European Bee-eater
Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Statut de conservation
European Bee-eater
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
European Bee-eater
Richly colored with a chestnut-brown crown and back, golden-yellow scapulars, turquoise-blue underparts, and a black eye stripe. Central tail feathers are elongated.
Long, slender, slightly decurved 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
European Bee-eater
The European bee-eater is one of the most colorful birds in Europe, displaying a rainbow palette of chestnut, gold, and turquoise. True to their name, bee-eaters specialize in catching venomous insects, skillfully removing the stinger before consumption. They nest in colonies, excavating tunnel burrows up to two meters into sandy banks.
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.