Phaethornis longuemareus
At merely 8.5-10 cm in length and weighing a scant 2.5-3.5 grams, the Little Hermit (*Phaethornis longuemareus*) is a diminutive and often understated hummingbird of the Neotropics. Its plumage is generally dull and cryptic, featuring bronzy-green upperparts, a rufous rump, and brownish-grey underparts with a streaked throat. Key identification marks include a prominent dark mask across the eye, bordered above by a pale supercilium and below by a buffy malar stripe. Its long, straight, black ...
Primarily found in the understory and edges of humid lowland evergreen forests, as well as mature secondary growth, plantations, and dense shrubbery, typically from sea level up to 1,000 meters elevation.
Feeds primarily on nectar obtained from a wide variety of small, often inconspicuous flowers, particularly those with long, curved corollas; also gleans small arthropods like spiders and insects from foliage and spiderwebs.
The Little Hermit is a diurnal species, engaging in a specialized 'trap-lining' foraging strategy where it repeatedly visits a fixed circuit of nectar-producing flowers throughout the day. Males are notably gregarious during the breeding season, forming leks - communal display grounds - where the...
The Little Hermit (*Phaethornis longuemareus*) has a disjunct but widespread distribution across northern South America and the Lesser Antilles, with several recognized subspecies inhabiting distinct geographical areas. Its primary range extends from the extreme northeastern tip of Venezuela, eas...
Least Concern
- The Little Hermit is one of the smallest species in the hermit subfamily of hummingbirds. - Its 'trap-lining' foraging strategy involves remembering and revisiting a fixed circuit of flowers, maximizing energy intake. - Unlike many 'glowing' hummingbirds, hermits like the Little Hermit lack iri...