Hummingbirds are small, fast-moving birds known for their ability to hover and feed on nectar. Their rapid wing beats create a distinctive humming sound, which gives them their name. Other creatures sometimes exhibit similar characteristics, often due to convergent evolution where unrelated species develop similar traits from similar environmental pressures or lifestyles.
Moths That Resemble Hummingbirds
Several moth species are frequently mistaken for hummingbirds due to their hovering flight and nectar-feeding behavior. Notable examples include the hummingbird hawk-moth and various sphinx moths, also known as hawk moths. The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is found across temperate regions of Eurasia. This moth possesses a wingspan of about 40-58 millimeters, featuring brown forewings with wavy lines and orange hindwings with a black edge, visible during flight.
Hummingbird hawk-moths hover around flowers, extracting nectar with a long proboscis, an elongated mouthpart that can extend up to 28 millimeters. This proboscis coils tightly when not in use, and the moth maintains sustained hovering flight while feeding. Their wing beats are very fast, up to 80 times per second, producing an audible humming sound. These moths are active during the day, particularly in bright sunshine, and can even fly in the rain.
The Hemaris genus of sphinx moths, sometimes called clearwing moths, is another group mistaken for hummingbirds. Species like Hemaris thysbe, the hummingbird clearwing, have a spindle-shaped, fuzzy body and transparent wings with reddish-brown borders and veins, losing scales after their first flight. Their bodies range in color from olive green to reddish-brown, and they hover to collect nectar from flowers. These moths have a wingspan of 4 to 5.5 centimeters and are commonly found in cultivated gardens, meadows, and forest edges across North America.
Birds Often Mistaken for Hummingbirds
Certain bird species can also be confused with hummingbirds, mainly due to their rapid, erratic flight patterns. Swifts, particularly the Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) and Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi), are common examples. These birds are highly aerial, spending most of their time in flight.
Chimney Swifts are small birds with slender, cigar-shaped bodies and long, narrow, curved wings. They are dark gray-brown and fly with nearly constant, stiff wingbeats, often twisting and banking erratically. Vaux’s Swifts are similarly small, measuring about 11 centimeters long, with a light brownish, cigar-shaped body and long, slim, pointed wings that appear to be in constant motion. Both swift species are insectivores, catching flying insects and spiders directly from the air using their wide mouths. They do not perch on branches like most birds, instead clinging to vertical surfaces.
Key Differences to Observe
Distinguishing between true hummingbirds and their look-alikes involves observing physical form, behavior, and sounds. Hummingbirds have slender bills and a unique “figure-8” wing movement that allows for precise hovering and backward flight. Their wings create a distinct humming sound, which is generally higher-pitched than the buzzing of large moths. Moths, in contrast, have a proboscis, a coiled straw-like mouthpart, and possess antennae, which are absent in birds. The wing movements of hawk moths, while fast, appear more like a blur than the clear, rapid strokes of a hummingbird.
When feeding, hummingbirds insert their long bills into flowers, while moths extend their proboscis to sip nectar. Swifts are aerial insectivores; they capture insects in flight with their mouths open. Their flight is characterized by stiff, rapid wingbeats and erratic movements, but they do not hover in one spot like hummingbirds or hawk moths. The sound of swifts in flight is a chattering or twittering call, distinct from a hummingbird’s hum.
Time of day also offers clues for identification. Hummingbirds are active during the day, especially around sunrise and sunset, although they forage throughout daylight hours. While some hawk moths are crepuscular or nocturnal, species like the hummingbird hawk-moth and clearwing moths are active during the day. Swifts are also diurnal, spending nearly all their time flying and foraging for insects in the air.