Threnetes niger
The Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger) is a captivating, medium-sized hummingbird belonging to the hermit subfamily Phaethornithinae, renowned for its elusive nature within the dimly lit understory of Neotropical forests. Measuring approximately 10.5-11.5 cm (4.1-4.5 inches) in length and weighing 4.5-5.5 grams, its plumage is predominantly a smoky-brown to sooty-black, providing excellent camouflage against its shadowy habitat. Key field marks include a long, strongly decurved black bill, a ...
Found in the understory of humid lowland evergreen forests, often near water or ravines, typically at elevations below 500 meters (1,600 feet).
Primarily feeds on nectar from various understory flowering plants, particularly those with long, tubular corollas, supplemented with small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
Sooty Barbthroats are diurnal, active during daylight hours, and roost solitarily amidst dense vegetation. Their foraging strategy is classic hermit 'trap-lining,' where they visit a regular circuit of widely spaced flowering plants within the forest understory, probing blooms with their long, de...
The Sooty Barbthroat is a resident species found primarily in the lowland humid forests of northern South America. Its distribution spans across the Guianas, including Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, extending westward into eastern Venezuela. Southward, its range encompasses a significant po...
Least Concern
- Sooty Barbthroats get their 'barbthroat' name from the stiff, barb-like bristles around their bills, which may help direct nectar or protect their eyes during feeding. - Unlike the glittering iridescence of many hummingbirds, its drab, smoky plumage provides exceptional camouflage in the dark f...