Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris)

Identification & Behavior: ~16 cm (6.3 in). The Great-billed Hermit has greenish upperparts. The color of the underparts ranges from grayish to grayish-tawny according to the subspecies. All forms have a dark mask through the eye, bordered above and below with whitish-buff stripes. Some forms show central stripe on the throat, others have a whitish throat, and others have a concolor belly and throat. The bill is very long and decurved, with a red or reddish lower mandible. The central feathers of the tapered tail are long and white-tipped. The Great-billed Hermit does overlap with the very similar Long-billed Hermit of the west slope of the Andes.

Status: The Great-billed Hermit is common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1300 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Ermitaño de Pico Grande.

Sub-species: Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris moorei), Lawrence, 1858. E & S Colombia, E Ecuador and NE Peru (N of R Marañón).
(Phaethornis malaris ochraceiventris), Hellmayr 1907. NE Peru (S of R Marañón) and W Brazil (S of Amazon, E to lower R Madeira).
(Phaethornis malaris bolivianus), Gould, 1861. SE Peru to C Bolivia (to W Santa Cruz) and W Brazil S of Amazon (R Madeira E to W bank of R Tapajós).

Meaning of Name: Phaethornis: Gr. Phao= sun sunshine, and Ornis= bird. malaris: L. malaris, mala= cheekbone, cheek.

See more of the Family Trochilidae