Lesser devilray vs Long-tailed Sylph

Mobula kuhlii compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• Lesser devilray is Endangered while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser devilray	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Myliobatidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Mobula	Aglaiocercus
Species	Mobula kuhlii	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser devilray and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Lesser devilray

EN — Endangered

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lesser devilray

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.