Calliope Hummingbird Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCalliope Hummingbird
Adult male
Small hummingbird with a hunched posture. Adult males have magenta rays on the throat and wear a greenish vest.
© Marya Moosman / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, May 26, 2015Female/immature male
Smallest hummingbird in the United States and Canada, with short wings and tail. Females/immatures have a peachy wash across their underparts and a bronze-green back.
© Kent Leland / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 25, 2017Adult male
Male performs U-shaped display dives for females in which he makes a sputtering buzz with tail feathers and gives a sharp zinging call. Often seen perched on exposed branches.
© Matthew Pendleton / Macaulay LibraryUtah, June 25, 2019Female/immature male
Very small hummingbird. Females/immatures have peachy washed underparts and green stippling on the throat.
© Jesse Amesbury / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, November 09, 2015Habitat
Breeds in mountain meadows, aspen thickets near streams, and open forests that are regenerating from a forest fire or logging.
© Griffin Richards / Macaulay LibraryWashington, June 10, 2017Similar SpeciesAllen's Hummingbird
Female/immature
The tail on Allen's Hummingbirds extends past the wings when perched, but on Calliope Hummingbirds the wings and tail are about the same length. Female/immature Allen's tend to have brighter coppery sides than Calliope.
© Ellen Crotty / Macaulay LibraryAlabama, February 11, 2017Similar SpeciesRufous Hummingbird
Female/immature
The tail on Rufous Hummingbirds extends past the wings when perched, but on Calliope Hummingbirds the tail and wings are about the same length. Female/immature Rufous tend to have brighter coppery sides than Calliope.
© Ian Routley / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 16, 2016Similar SpeciesBroad-tailed Hummingbird
Female/immature male
Female and immature Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are larger than Calliopes and their tails extend beyond the wingtips. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have a thicker, longer bill than Calliope.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryUtah, October 11, 2009Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Hummingbirds(Order: Caprimulgiformes, Family: Trochilidae)
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