Long-tailed Sylph vs small skipper

Aglaiocercus kingii compared with Thymelicus sylvestris

Key Differences

• Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern while small skipper is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Long-tailed Sylph	small skipper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Trochilidae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Aglaiocercus	Thymelicus
Species	Aglaiocercus kingii	Thymelicus sylvestris

Evolutionary Relationship

Long-tailed Sylph and small skipper share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

small skipper

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

small skipper

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

small skipper

small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.