Rufous-breasted Hermit Glaucis hirsutus Scientific name definitions

Rufous-breasted Hermits occupy a large variety of forest types, making them widespread both geographically and altitudinally. They abound in Amazonia, but are common throughout much of their range. Deep rufous on the underparts and on the rounded tail help distinguish this species from other hermits, as does the fact that Rufous-breasted Hermits do not form leks. Those from Grenada, Trinidad, and Tobago are morphologically distinct and constitute one of the two subspecies of Rufous-breasted Hermits. This species is often seen in the understory feeding on nectar of Heliconia and unlike many hummingbirds, males frequent and defend the area surrounding the nest.

10–12 cm; male 5–8·2 g (1 Junge, G. C. A., and G. F. Mees (1958). The avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago. Zoologische Verhandelingen 37(1):1–172. Close , 2 Strauch, J. G. (1977). Further bird weights from Panama. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 97(2):61–65. Close , 3 Robbins, M. B., T. A. Parker, and S. E. Allen (1985). The avifauna of Cerro Pirre, Darién, eastern Panama. Ornithological Monographs 36:198–232. Close , 4 Graves, G. R., and R. L. Zusi (1990). Avian body weights from the lower Rio Xingu, Brazil. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 110(1): 20–25. Close ), female 5·5–8·5 g (5 Collins, C. T. (1972). Weights of some birds of north-central Venezuela. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 92(6):151–153. Close ). A medium-sized hermit with dark green upperparts , brownish-rufous underparts , slightly decurved bill and the four outer rectrices rufous with broad black subterminal bands and white tips . Female has distinctly paler throat and upper breast; shorter wings and tail; narrower rectrices; bill more decur­ved. Male has serrated edges on both mandibles, female only on upper mandible; male sometimes has a somewhat hooked tip to upper mandible. Immature has feathers of upperparts ochraceous, and pale tips to remiges; narrower rectrices; immature male has some prominent dark throat feathers resembling throat coloration in Threnetes. Race insularum has significantly longer wings and more decurved bill.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Understorey of many types of forest (even locally caatinga of NE Brazil) and dense vegetation outside primary forest: second growth, woodland clearings, disturbed and secondary forest, riverine habitats, swamps, shrubs, forest edge, partly deciduous forest, bamboo thickets, gallery forest, islands of trees or shrub in grassland, cerrado and plantations. Recorded from sea-level to 1800 m, although mostly below 1000 m; possibly up to 3500 m in Venezuela.

Nectar of Heliconia  (e.g. H. bihai) (1 Junge, G. C. A., and G. F. Mees (1958). The avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago. Zoologische Verhandelingen 37(1):1–172. Close ), Centropogon (e.g. C. surinamensis) (1 Junge, G. C. A., and G. F. Mees (1958). The avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago. Zoologische Verhandelingen 37(1):1–172. Close ), Pachystachys, Passiflora, Trichanthera and Costus species, as well as small arthropods (3 Robbins, M. B., T. A. Parker, and S. E. Allen (1985). The avifauna of Cerro Pirre, Darién, eastern Panama. Ornithological Monographs 36:198–232. Close ). Venezuelan study recorded insects in 38% of samples (6 Poulin, B., Lefebvre, G. and McNeil, R. (1994). Diets of land birds from northeastern Venezuela. Condor. 96(2): 354–367. Close ).

Song is a very variable (7 Ferreira, A.R.J., Smulders, T.V., Sameshima, K., Mello, C.V. and Jarvis, E.D. (2006). Vocalizations and associated behaviors of the Sombre Hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrhochloris) and the Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus). Auk. 123(4): 1129-1148. Close ) high-pitched descending phrase rendered “tsee-tsee-tsi-tsi-tsi”, irregularly alternated with a series of high-pitched “seee” notes. Three call types identified (7 Ferreira, A.R.J., Smulders, T.V., Sameshima, K., Mello, C.V. and Jarvis, E.D. (2006). Vocalizations and associated behaviors of the Sombre Hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrhochloris) and the Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus). Auk. 123(4): 1129-1148. Close ), all of them variations on chirps, for example that most frequently heard in flight is a sharp high-pitched upslurred “tseeet!”, uttered singly in short-distance flights, but multiple times over longer distances (7 Ferreira, A.R.J., Smulders, T.V., Sameshima, K., Mello, C.V. and Jarvis, E.D. (2006). Vocalizations and associated behaviors of the Sombre Hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrhochloris) and the Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus). Auk. 123(4): 1129-1148. Close ). The so-called M-chirp call is a quick descending series of high-pitched syllables, mostly given while perched, and accompanied by up-and-down tail-waving, often in response to vocalizations of a conspecific either flying or perched nearby (7 Ferreira, A.R.J., Smulders, T.V., Sameshima, K., Mello, C.V. and Jarvis, E.D. (2006). Vocalizations and associated behaviors of the Sombre Hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrhochloris) and the Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus). Auk. 123(4): 1129-1148. Close ).

Season Dec–Aug on Grenada (8 Raffaele, H. A., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele (1998). A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), Jan–Aug on Trinidad, Apr–Jul in Panama, Sept–May in Brazil. Nest records in Sept in SE Colombia; Dec and May in N Colombia; Jun in E Colombia; Sept, Nov and Dec in Suriname; Feb, Mar, Jul, Aug and Dec in French Guiana. Data on gonadal activity indicate Feb in Venezuela; Feb and Jun in Colombia; Aug in Panama; Jan, Aug and Sept in Peru; Aug–Sept in Brazil; nestbuilding in E Ecuador in Jul (9 Greeney, H. F., R. A. Gelis, and R. White (2004). Notes on breeding birds from an Ecuadorian lowland forest. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 124:28–37. Close ). Nest built on underside of pendant leaf   (e.g. Heliconia, fern or palm), a cone-shaped cup loosely constructed of plant strands decorated with lichens and plant matter, similar to nests of Ramphodon naevius and Eutoxeres; eggs  partly visible from the outside; on Trinidad often over water, once 2·5 m above a small stream (1 Junge, G. C. A., and G. F. Mees (1958). The avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago. Zoologische Verhandelingen 37(1):1–172. Close ). In contrast to most other hummingbirds, males recorded in immediate nest area, and reported to defend nest. May re-use same nest fror several consecutive broods (8 Raffaele, H. A., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele (1998). A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ). Normally two eggs, size (on Trinidad) 15·6–15·8 mm × 9–9·4 mm (n = 4) (1 Junge, G. C. A., and G. F. Mees (1958). The avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago. Zoologische Verhandelingen 37(1):1–172. Close ); larger clutch sizes are due to conspecific females laying in same nest. Incubation 17–19 days, by female; chick black with grey down; fledging 20–25 days; young remain with female for 3–4 weeks. In a study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14 chicks fledged in 12 nests (24 eggs) (10 Stenzel, R.N. and de Souza, P.B. (2009). Notas sobre a nidificacão de Glaucis hirsutus (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Atualidades Orn.. 149: 10–12. Close ). First breeding in second year.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Generally common throughout much of its extensive range, especially in Amazonia; the most commonly mist-netted hummingbird species at Amacayacu National Park (SE Colombia). Occurs in Guatopo National Park (Venezuela) and Asa Wright Nature Centre (Trinidad). Appears to have declined in some areas due to degradation or destruction of forest, with extensive loss of its main food plants, e.g. in Henri Pittier National Park in NW Venezuela.