Bird Guide

Giant Hummingbird vs White-whiskered Hermit

Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas)

Giant Hummingbird

Patagona gigas

Small20 gShrubland

Its mass is in the range of 17–31 g (0.60–1.09 oz), making it approximately twice as heavy as the next largest hummingbird. It has a wingspan of 21.5 cm (8.5 in), with a body length of 23 cm (9.1 in). The two subspecies are visually distinguishable. P. g. peruviana is yellowish brown overall and has white on the chin and throat, where P. g. gigas is more olive green to brown and lacks white on the chin and throat.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Claude Kolwelter · CC BY 4.0
White-whiskered Hermit (Phaethornis yaruqui)

White-whiskered Hermit

Phaethornis yaruqui

Tiny5 gForest

The white-whiskered hermit is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh 4 to 7 g (0.14 to 0.25 oz) and females 4 to 6.5 g (0.14 to 0.23 oz). This medium-sized hermit has a bronzy crown and iridescent bluish green upperparts. Its underparts are green to dark gray. The face has a black "mask" with a buffy supercilium and a white gular stripe. The male's bill is almost straight. The female has a shorter and gently decurved bill, shorter wings, more grayish underparts, and a longer tail than the male. Voice: The white-whiskered hermit's song is "a continuous series of rather harsh 'kree-u' notes". It also gives a series of "seek" notes while wagging its tail on a low perch at a lek.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-whiskered Hermit
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · El Oro: Reserva Buenaventura 9 km WNW Piñas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: John G. Phillips · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Giant Hummingbird and White-whiskered Hermit.