Black-breasted Puffleg vs Black-thighed Puffleg

Eriocnemis nigrivestis compared with Eriocnemis derbyi

Key Differences

• Black-breasted Puffleg is Endangered while Black-thighed Puffleg is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-breasted Puffleg	Black-thighed Puffleg
Kingdom same	Animalia (حيوانات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum same	Chordata (حبليات)	Chordata (حبليات)
Class same	Aves (طيور)	Aves (طيور)
Order same	Apodiformes (سماميات)	Apodiformes (سماميات)
Family same	Trochilidae	Trochilidae
Genus same	Eriocnemis	Eriocnemis
Species	Eriocnemis nigrivestis	Eriocnemis derbyi

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-breasted Puffleg and Black-thighed Puffleg share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Eriocnemis.

Conservation Status

Black-breasted Puffleg

EN — Endangered

Black-thighed Puffleg

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-breasted Puffleg	Black-thighed Puffleg
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-breasted Puffleg

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Ecuador and Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-thighed Puffleg

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Black-breasted Puffleg

The Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis) is a species in the genus Eriocnemis. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Black-thighed Puffleg

An Andean puffleg hummingbird named for the males' distinctive velvety black thighs contrasting with the characteristic white leg feather puffs, black-thighed pufflegs inhabit humid montane forest and forest edges in Ecuador and Colombia at elevations of 1,500–3,500 meters. Males display glittering green plumage with a violet-blue tail. Listed as Near Threatened due to deforestation of the Andean cloud forest, with populations declining as the specialized high-altitude forest habitat is cleared for agriculture.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway