Rufous-breasted Hermit ( Glaucis hirsutus)

Identification & Behavior: ~11.5 cm (4.5 in). The Rufous-breasted Hermit has green upperparts and rufous throat and breast. The center of the belly and vent areas are whitish. The male has dusky cheeks. The female shows a buffy stripe that borders the lower side of the cheek. Both sexes have a yellow lower mandible. The tail in both sexes is rufous, nearly square with a broad black terminal band. The somewhat similar Pale-tailed Barbthroat has a pale tail (buff in some forms), but it has no rufous on the breast. Other Phaethornis hermits have an elongated pair of central tail feathers.

Status: The Rufous-breasted Hermit is uncommon in the Amazonian lowlands. It is known to range to elevations of up to 1200 m along the east slope of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Ermitaño de Pecho Canela.

Sub-species: Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus hirsutus), J. F. Gmelin, 1788.

Meaning of Name: Glaucis: Gr. Glaucis Glaukos= pale green. hirsutus: L. hirtus= hairy.

See more of the Family Trochilidae