Gray-chinned Hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis)

Identification & Behavior: ~10 cm (4 in). The Gray-chinned Hermit is mainly dull brownish green above with rusty tinged uppertail coverts. It has a well defined black mask through the eye, bordered only above with whitish-buff stripe. The throat is whitish. The underparts are tawny. The bill is long and slightly decurved, with a mostly yellow lower mandible. The central feathers of the tapered tail are long and white-tipped. It is similar to the Black-throated Hermit but is distinguished by having whitish throat and overall warmer coloration. It ranges above the range of Reddish Hermit.  

Status: The Gray-chinned Hermit has two distinctive and geographically separated subspecies. The “greseigularis” subspecies is uncommon along the Marañon Valley and the local and restricted to the northeast slope of the Andes (Amazonas) at elevations of up to 2000 m. The “zonura” subspecies is uncommon in deciduous forest and scrub on the west slope of the northern Andean foothills at elevations of up to 1600 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Br.

Name in Spanish: Ermitaño de Barbilla Gris.

Sub-species: Gray-chinned Hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis griseogularis), Gould 1851. W of Andes in Colombia; E Andes from Colombia S to N Peru (San Martín).
(Phaethornis griseogularis zonura), Gould 1860. N Peru (Marañón Valley in E Cajamarca and adjacent Amazonas).

Meaning of Name: Phaethornis: Gr. Phao= sun sunshine, and Ornis= bird. griseigularis: L. griseum= gray and gula, gularis= throat, throated.

See more of the Family Trochilidae