Straight-billed Hermit (Phaethornis bourcieri)

Identification & Behavior: ~13.5 cm (5.3 in). The Straight-billed Hermit is mainly dull greenish above with a scaled rump with greenish and brown. It has a poorly defined dusky mask through the eye, bordered above and below with whitish-buff stripe. The stripe above is short and poorly defined. The underparts are grayish. The bill is straight, with a red lower mandible. The tail is dusky with broad whitish tips on each feather, except for the central pair, which is longer and tipped white. It is similar to the Needle-billed Hermit but is distinguished by having grayish underparts.

Status: The Straight-billed Hermit is uncommon and largely restricted to the Department of Loreto. It ranges mostly below 400 m in Amazonia. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Br.

Name in Spanish: Ermitaño de Pico Recto.

Sub-species: Straight-billed Hermit (Phaethornis bourcieri bourcieri), Lesson 1832.

Meaning of Name: Phaethornis: Gr. Phao= sun, sunshine, and Ornis= bird. bourcieri: in honor of the naturalist, collector specializing in hummingbird specimens, and French Consul for Ecuador, Jules Bourcier (1797-1873).

See more of the Family Trochilidae