vs Long-tailed Sylph

Euglena splendens compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoa)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Euglenozoa (Euglenozoa)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Euglenoidea (Euglenoidea)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Euglenida (Euglenida)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Euglenaceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Euglena	Aglaiocercus
Species	Euglena splendens	Aglaiocercus kingii

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Denmark, and Sweden.

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Euglena splendens is a photosynthetic unicellular euglenid characterized by its elongated body and brilliant green coloration from chloroplasts. It inhabits standing freshwater environments including ponds, ditches, and nutrient-enriched waters across temperate and tropical regions. This mixotrophic organism performs photosynthesis in light conditions and can absorb dissolved organic nutrients in darkness.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.