Himmelssylphe vs Variable Darner

Aglaiocercus kingii compared with Aeshna interrupta

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Himmelssylphe	Variable Darner
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class	Aves (Vögel)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order	Apodiformes (Seglervögel)	Odonata (Libellen)
Family	Trochilidae	Aeshnidae
Genus	Aglaiocercus	Aeshna
Species	Aglaiocercus kingii	Aeshna interrupta

Evolutionary Relationship

Himmelssylphe and Variable Darner share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Himmelssylphe

LC — Least Concern

Variable Darner

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Himmelssylphe	Variable Darner
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Himmelssylphe

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Variable Darner

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

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.