Gemeine Nachtkerze vs Himmelssylphe

Oenothera biennis compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gemeine Nachtkerze	Himmelssylphe
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Vögel)
Order	Myrtales (Myrtenartige)	Apodiformes (Seglervögel)
Family	Onagraceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Oenothera	Aglaiocercus
Species	Oenothera biennis	Aglaiocercus kingii

Conservation Status

Gemeine Nachtkerze

LC — Least Concern

Himmelssylphe

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gemeine Nachtkerze	Himmelssylphe
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gemeine Nachtkerze

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Eswatini, South Africa), Asia (13 countries), Europe (35 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile).

Himmelssylphe

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Gemeine Nachtkerze

The Candlestick (Oenothera biennis) is a species in the genus Oenothera. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic re

Himmelssylphe

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.