Black-thighed Puffleg vs Speckled Hummingbird

Eriocnemis derbyi compared with Adelomyia melanogenys

Key Differences

• Black-thighed Puffleg is Near Threatened while Speckled Hummingbird is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-thighed Puffleg	Speckled Hummingbird
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family same	Trochilidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Eriocnemis	Adelomyia
Species	Eriocnemis derbyi	Adelomyia melanogenys

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-thighed Puffleg and Speckled Hummingbird share a common ancestor at the Family level: Trochilidae.

Conservation Status

Black-thighed Puffleg

NT — Near Threatened

Speckled Hummingbird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-thighed Puffleg	Speckled Hummingbird
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Speckled Hummingbird

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

Speckled Hummingbird

A medium-sized hummingbird with speckled or spotted underparts — unusual among hummingbirds dominated by plain or iridescent plumages — speckled hummingbirds inhabit cloud forest and forest edges in the Andes from Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia at elevations of 900–3,000 meters. The spotted underpart pattern provides remarkable camouflage when the bird perches on lichen-covered bark. They forage on nectar and small arthropods and are important pollinators of Andean epiphytes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway