Coastal Silver-stiletto vs Gray-chinned Hermit

Acrosathe annulata compared with Phaethornis griseogularis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Gray-chinned Hermit
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Therevidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Acrosathe	Phaethornis
Species	Acrosathe annulata	Phaethornis griseogularis

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Silver-stiletto and Gray-chinned Hermit share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

Gray-chinned Hermit

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Gray-chinned Hermit
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Gray-chinned Hermit

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Coastal silver stiletto (Acrosathe annulata) is a slender robber fly in the family Therevidae, native to northwestern Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. Adults are found on coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland, where they perch on bare sand to ambush small flying insects. Stiletto flies in the family Therevidae are characterised by a slender body, long pointed abdomen, and predatory habits; adults prey on a variety of small dipterans and other flying insects during warm, sunny periods. Larvae develop in sandy soil, where they are also predatory, feeding on other invertebrate larvae. Acrosathe annulata is a habitat specialist restricted to open, sandy coastal habitats with sparse vegetation—environments that have declined substantially across northwestern Europe due to dune stabilisation, recreational disturbance, and the cessation of traditional dune management. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though regional conservation bodies in the United Kingdom have flagged population declines. It is considered an indicator of high-quality coastal sand dune habitats and is monitored through national invertebrate surveys.

Gray-chinned Hermit

A small, inconspicuous hermit hummingbird of dry and humid forests in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia, gray-chinned hermits have brownish upper parts, grey chin, and pale buff underparts with a white-tipped central tail — a subtle palette compared to many hummingbirds. They inhabit forest understorey and shrubby forest edge at elevations of 300–1,600 meters, following systematic trap-line routes to visit flowering plants. Males gather at leks to attract females through persistent vocalization.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway