Mangrove Hummingbird vs Blue-throated Goldentail

The Mangrove Hummingbird and Blue-throated Goldentail can be distinguished by their throat colors and tail shapes. The Mangrove Hummingbird has a bluish-green throat and a forked tail, while the Blue-throated Goldentail features a blue throat and a square tail. Both species have green upperparts, but the Mangrove Hummingbird has a bronze tinge to its rump and tail.

1. Throat color: Look for a bluish-green throat in Mangrove Hummingbird vs. a blue throat in Blue-throated Goldentail. 2. Tail shape: Mangrove Hummingbird has a forked tail, while Blue-throated Goldentail has a square tail. 3. Habitat: Consider the habitat; mangroves for Mangrove Hummingbird vs. open woodlands for Blue-throated Goldentail. 4. Behavior: Note lekking behavior in Blue-throated Goldentail males. 5. Female plumage: Check for green throat spots in female Mangrove Hummingbird.

Both species are medium-sized hummingbirds, but size differences are not a reliable field mark.

The Mangrove Hummingbird has a bluish-green throat and a white belly, with a bronze tinge to the rump and tail. The Blue-throated Goldentail has a blue throat and a more uniformly green upperparts with a golden tail. Females of both species have white underparts but differ in throat spotting.

Both species forage at mid to upper levels, but the Blue-throated Goldentail males are known to congregate at leks and sing, which is a behavior not noted for the Mangrove Hummingbird.

Mangrove Hummingbirds are typically found in mangrove habitats, while Blue-throated Goldentails prefer open woodlands, semi-open second growth, and evergreen gallery forests.

Vocalization details are not provided for the Mangrove Hummingbird, but Blue-throated Goldentail males are known to sing incessantly at leks.