- Glaucis hirsuta
Identification
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Manu Lodge, Río Madre de Dios, Madre de Dios Department, Peru, September 2018
10–12 cm (4-4¾ in)
Bronze-green upperparts and bright cinnamon underparts.
The central tail feathers are colored like the back except for white tips, while the rest of the rounded tail has feathers that are rufous with black subterminal band and white tips.
The head shows a dusky stripe through the eye. The bill is long (1.5 inches) and curved, with a black upper mandible and a yellow lower mandible (on male, the upper mandible should also have yellow streaks)
Both sexes have superciliary and moustachial streaks, but these are far more pronounced in the female.
Distribution
Central and South America: found from Panama to Colombia, Brazil, the Guianas, Venezuela, and Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada.
Taxonomy
Rufous-breasted Hermit was previously considered conspecific with Bronzy Hermit
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- G. h. insularum:
- G. h. hirsutus
Habitat
Forests and secondary growth, and edges, sometimes even to more open areas near the forest. Found at less than 1000 meters in northern Venezuela.
Behaviour
Described as inquisitive and aggressive, mostly seen alone.
Diet
Their main diet consists of nectar. They readily visit feeders.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2017)
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rufous-breasted Hermit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-breasted_Hermit
