Long-billed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris Scientific name definitions

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Long-billed Hermits inhabit forest understory, second growth, and plantations where they are particularly fond of edges and steams. These large hummingbirds gather nectar from widely dispersed flowers and also catch spiders and insects. Males gather in leks, sometimes composed of as many as 25 individuals, and sing incessantly from low perches in the understory. These hermits have distinctive facial striping, a long, decurved bill, and white extensions to their central tail feathers.

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

13–16 cm; male 5–7·5 g, female 4–6·5 g. A medium-sized hermit with greenish-brown back  and brownish or greyish underparts  . Distinguishable from P. superciliosus and other similar species by three (instead of two) light ochraceous bands, with two dark bands between them, on the longest feathers of uppertail-coverts; long , decurved bill and long white tips  to central rectrices  . Female has shorter wings, shorter bill and an even stronger bill decur­vature. Race <em>cephalus</em> intergrades with longirostris from Guatemala to Costa Rica, with more ochraceous underparts, undertail-coverts and tail feather margins from NW to SE; N Colombian <em>sussurus</em> larger than <em>cephalus</em> , but of same coloration.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

13–16 cm; 5·5–5·6 g. Large, comparatively dull-coloured hermit, with whitish whiskers (malar stripes), buff central throat stripe  , long, decurved bill, with reddish-orange mandible, dull metallic green upperparts , browner crown, ochraceous rump scaled blackish, buff supercilium, blackish cheeks, dull greyish underparts  mottled dusky, becoming whiter on belly, and graduated black tail, narrowly tipped white , and broadly white-tipped elongated central feathers. Sexes alike. Juvenile apparently undescribed. In W Ecuador, needs to be separated from P. yaruqui, which generally favours more humid habitats and is overall much darker, while P. striigularis is considerably smaller, with much more obvious reddish rump patch. In NW Peru, can only be confused with recently split P. porcullae (the only allopatric Phaethornis), but latter is rather smaller, with yellow (not red) mandible and unpatterned throat.

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Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

W Ecuador (from W Esmeraldas to S Loja) to NW Peru (Tumbes, Piura).

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

Rainforest understorey, tall second growth, more humid areas in semi-deciduous, pine-oak and cloudforests (in particular in S Mexico), forest edge, gallery forest and plantations. Recorded from sea-level to 1000 m in Costa Rica, 1500 m in E Mexico and to 2500 m in N Colombia.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

Forest understorey, tall second growth, more humid areas in semi-deciduous and cloudforests (in Ecuador), in lowlands and foothills. Recorded from sea-level to 400 m in NW Peru, and to at least 1300 m in W Ecuador, where reported locally as high as 1700 m (Loja).

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

No information on any large-scale movements. Presumably wanders short distances.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

No information on any large-scale movements. Presumably wanders short distances.

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

Nectar and small arthropods. Resource plants  include several species of Heliconia  (e.g. H. pogonantha), Costus, Aphelandra and Passiflora. Feeds by trap-lining.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

No information, but presumably similar to other members of P. longirostris–P. superciliosus complex.

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

Song a continuous series of single, piercing, usually upslurred “sweeup” notes, at a rate of c. 1·5–2 notes/second. Call note a sharp, explosive “week!”, often given in flight.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

Song a continuous series of single, sparrow-like, chipping notes  , at rate of c. 2 notes/second “tchee..tchee..tchee..”, sounding  less metallic than allopatric P. mexicanus and less squeaky than P. longirostris. Males typically gather and sing at small leks. Call  a thin “seep”, given in flight.

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

May–Jul, perhaps earlier and also later in E & SE Mexico; Apr–May in S Mexico, Jan–Sept, perhaps Nov in Costa Rica; May–Sept in Panama; Jan–Apr in N Colombia; data on gonadal condition indicate May in Santa Marta Mts of N Colombia. Nest is thick-walled, cone-shaped cup of plant fibres and cobweb, fastened on the underside of a long, hanging leaf. Two white eggs; incubation 17–18 days, by female facing leaf; fledging 22–23 days. Nestling has dark skin, sparse down, tightly closed eyes, and short bill.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

Long-billed Hermit (Central American)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Small range of race sussurus indicate that it is potentially at risk. Race cephalus appears to be well protected within extensive network of national parks in Costa Rica, e.g. Manuel Antonio, Corcovado and Cahuita. Locally common in middle Magdalena Valley of Colombia.

Long-billed Hermit (Baron's)

Not globally threatened. Considered fairly common in extreme NW Peru, where restricted to Tumbes and N Piura (and discovered as recently as 1979), and equally numerous in W Ecuador, where much more widespread. Known from several protected areas in both countries, e.g. Cerro Blanco Protected Forest (Ecuador) and the Northwest Peru Biosphere Reserve.