Phaethornis guy
The Green Hermit (*Phaethornis guy*) is a striking, medium-sized hummingbird, measuring approximately 13-15 cm (5.1-5.9 in) in length and weighing 4-7 grams. Its plumage is predominantly iridescent dark green to bronze-green, particularly on its upperparts, with a dark mask across the eye contrasting sharply with a pale supercilium and malar stripe. The underparts are a dusky gray, often with a hint of green, while its long, strongly decurved black bill is a prominent identifying feature. A k...
Found primarily in the humid understory of wet evergreen forests, cloud forests, and dense ravines, often near flowing water, from lowlands up to mid-elevations.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on nectar from a wide variety of long-tubed flowers, and also consumes small arthropods (insects and spiders) for protein, often gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
Green Hermits are diurnal and largely solitary, known for their 'trap-lining' foraging strategy where individuals follow a fixed route visiting a series of widely dispersed flowers. Males engage in a fascinating lek breeding system, gathering in communal display grounds to sing and attract female...
The Green Hermit exhibits a disjunct distribution across Central and South America, primarily within humid tropical and subtropical forests. In Central America, it is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its South American range includes the Andes foothills and slopes from northern Venezuela, through ...
Least Concern
- The Green Hermit is one of the largest species within the hermit hummingbird subfamily, Phaethornithinae. - Males gather in traditional 'leks' where they sing and display together to attract females, a rare breeding system among hummingbirds. - Its nest is a remarkable feat of engineering, ofte...