Long-tailed Sylph vs Smooth hound

Aglaiocercus kingii compared with Triakis maculata

Key Differences

Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern while Smooth hound is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Long-tailed Sylph	Smooth hound
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Trochilidae	Triakidae
Genus	Aglaiocercus	Triakis
Species	Aglaiocercus kingii	Triakis maculata

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Smooth hound

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Long-tailed Sylph	Smooth hound
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.

Smooth hound

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Chile. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.