Phaethornis malaris
The Great-billed Hermit, *Phaethornis malaris*, is a truly captivating and relatively large hummingbird of the Neotropical understory, immediately identifiable by its exceptionally long, strongly decurved bill, which features a black maxilla and reddish mandible. Measuring 15-17 cm in length and weighing 5-7.5 g, its plumage is subtly beautiful, primarily dull olive-greenish on the upperparts, transitioning to grayish on the belly, with a conspicuous rufous rump and undertail coverts. Distinc...
The Great-billed Hermit inhabits the understory of humid lowland and foothill tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, secondary growth, and occasionally forest edges, typically from near sea level up to 1200 meters.
Primarily nectar from a diverse array of large, tubular flowers (especially Heliconiaceae, Marantaceae, Zingiberaceae), supplemented by small arthropods gleaned from foliage and spiderwebs.
This hummingbird is a classic 'trap-liner,' meticulously following a regular, fixed circuit of widely dispersed flowering plants to feed throughout the day. Males are known to display at leks, where they gather to sing their persistent, squeaky songs to attract females. Courtship involves aerial ...
The Great-billed Hermit boasts an extensive Neotropical distribution, residing year-round from extreme eastern Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, southward through Panama, and across much of northern and western South America. Its range encompasses Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas (Guyana, Suri...
Least Concern
- The Great-billed Hermit's extraordinarily long, decurved bill is perfectly adapted for extracting nectar from large, pendulous, often red or orange flowers that are typically pollinated by hummingbirds. - This species is a master of 'trap-lining,' a sophisticated foraging strategy where an indi...