Long-tailed Sylph vs Variable Crisp-moss

Aglaiocercus kingii compared with Trichostomum brachydontium

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Long-tailed Sylph	Variable Crisp-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Aves (Birds)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Pottiales (Pottiales)
Family	Trochilidae	Pottiaceae
Genus	Aglaiocercus	Trichostomum
Species	Aglaiocercus kingii	Trichostomum brachydontium

Conservation Status

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Variable Crisp-moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Long-tailed Sylph	Variable Crisp-moss
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.

Variable Crisp-moss

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇳🇴 Norway