Long-tailed Sylph vs Scarlet spiral-ginger
Aglaiocercus kingii compared with Costus woodsonii
Taxonomic Classification
| Rank | Long-tailed Sylph | Scarlet spiral-ginger |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia (Animals) | Plantae (Plants) |
| Phylum | Chordata (Chordates) | Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) |
| Class | Aves (Birds) | Liliopsida (Monocots) |
| Order | Apodiformes (Apodiformes) | Zingiberales (Zingiberales) |
| Family | Trochilidae | Costaceae |
| Genus | Aglaiocercus | Costus |
| Species | Aglaiocercus kingii | Costus woodsonii |
Conservation Status
Long-tailed Sylph
LC — Least ConcernScarlet spiral-ginger
LC — Least ConcernPhysical Characteristics
| Attribute | Long-tailed Sylph | Scarlet spiral-ginger |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | — | — |
| Average Lifespan | — | — |
| Average Length | — | — |
| Average Weight | — | — |
Habitat & Geographic Range
Long-tailed Sylph
Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.
Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.
Scarlet spiral-ginger
Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.
Distributed across Colombia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Saint Lucia, and United States.
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.
Scarlet spiral-ginger
No description available.
Related Comparisons
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