🐦

Straight-billed Hermit

Phaethornis bourcieri

Least Concern
Wingspan
11.0 cm
Weight
4.2 g
Family
Trochilidae
Order
Caprimulgiformes

About

A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia. Green plumage with a notably straight bill, unusual among hermits. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Named after the French naturalist Jules Bourcier.

Physical Description

Measurement Value Imperial
Wingspan 11.0 cm 4.3 in
Weight 4.2 g 0.15 oz

Identification

Plumage

Cinnamon-throated Hermit: deep iridescent violet crown; glittering green gorget; cinnamon-buff throat; buff-white undertail; decurved bill

Habitat & Range

Geographic Range

Widespread in lowland Amazonia from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to Brazil. 0–800 m.

Diet & Feeding

Nectarivore of long-tubed lowland flowers, especially Heliconia. Gleans small insects and spiders from leaf surfaces.

Conservation Status

Least Concern
IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: CP. Incubation: 17-18 days. Fledging: 23 days.

Clutch Size

2

Sound

Song

Crisp, musical chip note with ringing quality; single bright note repeated at measured intervals from prominent perch.

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars & Swifts)
Family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)
Genus Phaethornis
Species Phaethornis bourcieri

Distribution

Straight-billed Hermit has been recorded in 4 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}
Present Not recorded
{# Simplified country/region shapes — major landmasses with ISO alpha-2 data attributes. These are simplified polygon representations for visual distribution display. #}

countries highlighted

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Straight-billed Hermit eat?
Nectarivore of long-tubed lowland flowers, especially Heliconia. Gleans small insects and spiders from leaf surfaces.
Where does the Straight-billed Hermit live?
Widespread in lowland Amazonia from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to Brazil. 0–800 m.
Is the Straight-billed Hermit endangered?
The Straight-billed Hermit has a conservation status of Least Concern.
How does the Straight-billed Hermit nest?
Nest type: CP. Incubation: 17-18 days. Fledging: 23 days.
What does the Straight-billed Hermit sound like?
Crisp, musical chip note with ringing quality; single bright note repeated at measured intervals from prominent perch.
How big is the Straight-billed Hermit?
The Straight-billed Hermit has a wingspan of 11.0 cm, weight of 4.2 g.
What order and family does the Straight-billed Hermit belong to?
The Straight-billed Hermit (Phaethornis bourcieri) belongs to the order Caprimulgiformes and the family Trochilidae.

Similar Birds

Other species in the Trochilidae family

Compare

Explore More

Explore the Nature FYI Family