Blue-throated Starfrontlet vs Sparkling-tailed Woodstar

Blue-throated Starfrontlet

Coeligena helianthea

Tiny7 gForest

The blue-throated starfrontlet is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh between 7.1 and 7.6 g (0.25 and 0.27 oz) and females 6 to 6.5 g (0.21 to 0.23 oz). Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill and white spot behind the eye. Both have bronzy black forked tails but the female's is less indented than the male's. In poor light the species may appear all dark. However, males of the nominate subspecies have a black head with a dark green forehead. Their upperparts are dark glossed with emerald green while the lower back and rump are dark blue with some violet. Voice: The blue-throated starfrontlet's voice is poorly known. It does make "single, strident 'chit' notes."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: scaup · CC BY 4.0

Sparkling-tailed Woodstar

Tilmatura dupontii

Tiny2 gForest

Male sparkling-tailed woodstars are 8.2 to 10.1 cm (3.2 to 4.0 in) long. Females are 5.8 to 7.5 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in) long. Twelve specimens weighed an average of 2.23 g (0.079 oz). Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill and a large white patch on each side of the rump. Males have metallic green upperparts, a grayish white breast, and dark metallic bronze green belly and flanks. Their gorget is metallic violet blue. The central two pairs of tail feathers are metallic bronze green. The outer three pairs are about four times as long as the inner pairs, giving a deeply forked tail. Voice: The sparkling-tailed woodstar's song is "a very high, thin, but musical squeaking in a continuous stream, rising and falling slightly and lasting for many seconds at a time." It is sung from a high exposed perch. It also occasionally gives "high, sharp, twittering chirps".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Grete Pasch · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blue-throated Starfrontlet and Sparkling-tailed Woodstar.