Streak-throated Hermit Phaethornis rupurumii Scientific name definitions

The range of the Streak-throated Hermit is divided in two, with the race rupurumii inhabiting eastern Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana and the race amazonicus inhabiting north-central Brazil along the Amazon River. A small brownish hermit, the Streak-throated Hermit has white or buffy undertail coverts and a brownish gray belly, with males having dark brown throat feathers creating a streaked appearance. Like most species of hermit, the Streak-throated Hermit is an understory species. These birds prefer rainforest edge, várzea forest, gallery forest and scrub and second growth. This species is poorly known, but is frequently recorded and at the least locally common across its range.

10–12·1 cm (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); 2·5–3 g. Like P. squalidus in size and coloration, but differs in having white (nominate  ) or sometimes light buffy (amazonicus) instead of ochraceous undertail-coverts, and a brownish-grey (nominate  ) instead of ochraceous belly. Adult male has more intensely dark brown throat feathers, presenting a streaky appearance . Female has broader light margins to rectrices than male. Juvenile resembles adult female. Race amazonicus apparently slightly larger in most respects, mean wing 47 mm, tail 48 mm and bill 26 mm, vs. 45 mm, 49 mm and 24 mm, respectively in nominate (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ).

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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 rainforest edge, várzea forest and various drier habitats drier, e.g. semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest and forest islands in non-forest regions, thickets, second growth, scrub, etc.; along both banks of lower Amazon in “campos islands” with corresponding vegetation adapted to drier conditions. Mainly lowlands, but up to 500 m in Venezuela and Guyana.

Nectar  and small arthropods, but no detailed information.

Male song is an incessant “tsi tsi jéb dé tsi tsi jéb dé” (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ) or “eesee-eesee-eesee, eesee-eesee-eesee-swur”, given from perches 1–1·5 m high (2 Robbins, M. B., M. J. Braun, and D. W. Finch (2004). Avifauna of the Guyana southern Rupununi, with comparisons to other savannas of northern South America. Ornitología Neotropical 15(2):173–200. Close ).

No information available, but in SW Guyana display has been recorded in Nov and Apr (2 Robbins, M. B., M. J. Braun, and D. W. Finch (2004). Avifauna of the Guyana southern Rupununi, with comparisons to other savannas of northern South America. Ornitología Neotropical 15(2):173–200. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. At least locally common. Very poorly known, and should perhaps be classed as Data Deficient. Frequently recorded (nominate) near Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela, and (amazonicus) near Manaus, Brazil.