Clover Dodder vs Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Cuscuta epithymum compared with Amazilia tzacatl

Key Differences

Clover Dodder is Endangered while Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Dodder	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (ave)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Amazilia
Species	Cuscuta epithymum	Amazilia tzacatl

Conservation Status

Clover Dodder

EN — Endangered

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Dodder	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover Dodder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Clover Dodder

Clover dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) is a parasitic flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, a leafless, twining vine that obtains all its water and nutrients from host plants via haustoria — specialized penetrating organs that connect to host vascular tissue. The species is almost entirely dependent on its hosts throughout its life, with only brief photosynthetic activity during germination before establishing parasitic connections. C. epithymum parasitizes a wide range of host species including clover (Trifolium), gorse (Ulex), heathers (Erica, Calluna), thyme (Thymus), and other plants in open heathland, grassland, and scrub habitats. The stems are thread-like, yellowish-pink or reddish, and support clusters of small white to pale pink flowers. Originally widespread across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, the species has declined significantly in many parts of its range due to agricultural intensification, herbicide application, grassland conversion, and loss of semi-natural heathlands. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population decline across its European core range. Conservation of C. epithymum requires the maintenance of unimproved, low-nutrient grasslands and heathlands that support its diverse host plant communities. The species is recorded from Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, though populations in some regions represent introductions associated with contaminated legume seed lots.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

O beija-flor-de-cauda-ruiva (Amazilia tzacatl) e um dos beija-flores mais comuns da America Central e do noroeste da America do Sul. E de porte medio, com partes superiores verdes e uma cauda de cor laranja-ruivo brilhante, muito caracteristica. Ocorre desde o Mexico ate o Equador e Trinidad em uma grande variedade de habitats, incluindo bordas de floresta, jardins, plantacoes e vegetacao secundaria desde o nivel do mar ate 2.100 metros. Defensor agressivo de territorios em bebedouros e plantas com flores, e frequentemente observado em jardins por toda a sua area de distribuicao. Classificado como Pouco Preocupante.