Common Eastern Wildrye vs Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Elymus virginicus compared with Amazilia tzacatl

Key Differences

Common Eastern Wildrye is Not Evaluated while Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Eastern Wildrye	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Trochilidae
Genus	Elymus	Amazilia
Species	Elymus virginicus	Amazilia tzacatl

Conservation Status

Common Eastern Wildrye

NE — Not Evaluated

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Eastern Wildrye	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Eastern Wildrye

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Sweden, and United States.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Common Eastern Wildrye

<em>Elymus virginicus</em>, the common eastern wildrye, is a native North American grass in the family Poaceae, currently not evaluated by the IUCN Red List. The species is documented in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States, and typically inhabits grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated lands across its range in eastern and central North America. It is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass that typically grows in moist to mesic habitats including riverbanks, floodplain woodlands, forest understories, and moist prairies. <em>Elymus virginicus</em> is recognized by its distinctive nodding seed heads with stiff, curved awns and is among the most widely distributed wild rye grasses in North America. The species provides important ecosystem services as a native ground cover, stabilizing streambanks and riparian soils against erosion, and offering habitat and food resources for grassland birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. Common eastern wildrye is also valued in ecological restoration projects for its adaptability to a range of soil conditions and its ability to establish quickly in disturbed habitats. As a forage grass, it is moderately palatable to livestock and wildlife. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

One of the most common hummingbirds in Central America and northwestern South America, rufous-tailed hummingbirds are medium-sized with green upper parts and a diagnostic bright rufous-orange tail. Found from Mexico to Ecuador and Trinidad in a wide range of habitats including forest edges, gardens, plantations, and secondary growth from sea level to 2,100 meters. Aggressive territory defenders at feeders and flowering plants, they are frequently seen in gardens across their range. Listed as Least Concern.