Common Spindle vs Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Euonymus europaeus compared with Amazilia tzacatl

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Spindle	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (ave)
Order	Celastrales (Celastrales)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Celastraceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Euonymus	Amazilia
Species	Euonymus europaeus	Amazilia tzacatl

Conservation Status

Common Spindle

LC — Least Concern

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Spindle	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Spindle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand).

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Common Spindle

<em>Euonymus europaeus</em>, commonly known as the common spindle, is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the family Celastraceae, native to Europe and western Asia. This species typically inhabits woodland edges, hedgerows, scrubland, calcareous grassland margins, and riverbanks, preferring well-drained soils on chalk and limestone but tolerating a variety of substrates. Its geographic range extends across most of Europe from the British Isles and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean, and eastward through the Caucasus into western Asia. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, <em>Euonymus europaeus</em> maintains stable populations throughout its native range. The species is particularly notable for its striking autumn display of bright pink to crimson four-lobed capsular fruits that split to reveal orange-coated seeds, providing an important food source for robins, blackcaps, and other birds. The seeds are toxic to humans and many mammals. The plant typically grows to 2–6 metres in height and produces small inconspicuous greenish-white flowers in spring. Biological traits such as average individual lifespan, precise body dimensions, and specific weight measurements remain poorly documented at the population level for this shrub. The hard, fine-grained wood has historically been used for making spindles and skewers, giving rise to the common name.

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.