Grey-breasted Sabrewing vs Violet Sabrewing

Grey-breasted Sabrewing

Campylopterus largipennis

Tiny8 gForest

The grey-breasted sabrewing is a large hummingbird, 12.4 to 14.9 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in) long. Males weigh 9 to 10 g (0.32 to 0.35 oz) and females about 7 to 8 g (0.25 to 0.28 oz). The sexes have almost identical plumage. Their bill is slightly decurved; the maxilla is black and the mandible pinkish with a black tip. The nominate subspecies' upperparts are dark shining green and the underparts dark gray. They have a white spot behind the eye. Their central pair of tail feathers is green and the rest bluish black on their inner half and white on the outer. Subspecies C. l. obscurus (with C. l. Voice: The grey-breasted sabrewing makes "repeated short chik or trzik" calls and "occasionally a faster stuttering series." What is thought to be its song is the "same call note delivered in a more regular continuous series."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by

Violet Sabrewing

Campylopterus hemileucurus

Tiny10 gForest

The violet sabrewing is the largest hummingbird of Mexico and Central America. It is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 9 to 12 g (0.32 to 0.42 oz). Both sexes have a black bill, though those of subspecies C. h. mellitus are longer than the nominate's. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dusky crown with a bluish green gloss. Their nape and upper back, face, and underparts are metallic violet blue that is somewhat bluer on the belly. Their lower back and uppertail coverts are metallic green. Voice: The violet sabrewing's song has been described as "cheep tsew cheep tik-tik tsew cheep ..., high-pitched, piercing and ventriloquial" and as "varied, loud, sharp chipping and warbles, often punctuated with fairly shrill, slightly explosive notes". Its calls are "high, sharp chippering", "prolonged, hard chipping", and "single sharp chips given in flight."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Oliver Komar · Song · San Pedro Sula, Departamento de Cortés, Honduras · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey-breasted Sabrewing and Violet Sabrewing.