Phaethornis rupurumii
The Streak-throated Hermit (Phaethornis rupurumii) is a diminutive yet captivating hummingbird of the Neotropics, typically measuring around 10-12 cm (4-4.7 inches) in length and weighing a mere 4-6 grams. Its upperparts are a dull greenish-bronze, contrasting with its paler, buffy-rufous underparts, most notably the namesake streaking on its throat and breast. Distinctive white superciliary (above the eye) and malar (below the eye) stripes frame its dark eye, enhancing its cryptic forest und...
This hermit primarily inhabits the dense understory of humid lowland and foothill tropical rainforests, often frequenting forest edges, mature secondary growth, and gallery forests. It prefers areas with abundant flowering plants, typically found at elevations from sea level up to around 1,500 me...
Its diet consists predominantly of nectar, primarily obtained from the deep, tubular flowers of various plants, such as Heliconias, Costus, and Centropogon, accessed with its specialized decurved bill. It also supplements its nectar intake with small arthropods, including spiders and insects, whi...
The Streak-throated Hermit is largely a solitary and diurnal species, known for its "traplining" foraging strategy, where individuals repeatedly visit a specific circuit of widely dispersed flowering plants. Males establish and defend territories, often singing from exposed perches along their tr...
The Streak-throated Hermit is a resident species found across a broad swathe of northern South America, primarily within the Amazon basin and adjacent regions. Its distribution spans eastern Colombia, southern and eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and extensively across northern...
Least Concern
- The Streak-throated Hermit employs a "traplining" foraging strategy, repeatedly visiting a fixed circuit of flowers across its territory throughout the day. - Its remarkably long, decurved bill is perfectly adapted to probe the deep corollas of specific tubular flowers, like those of Heliconia ...