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HUMMINGBIRDS (Trochilidae; 49+ species) ‘Hummers’ are a distinctive New World family

best known for their small size, spectacular flight powers, and brilliant colors. Ages differ slightly

to strongly; sexes similar or different; adult appearance attained in 1st year. ID can be

challenging, but feeders may allow prolonged good views rarely possible ‘in the wild,’ when views

are often brief and many birds get away as unidentified. Voice often useful for ID and detection.

Many ‘resident’ hummers (especially those in the subtropical zone) are prone to wander

seasonally, but details tend to be poorly known; the proliferation of feeders at many places will

undoubtedly help clarify seasonal movements as well as revealing individuals out of range.

HERMITS

(6 species). Mainly forest-based hummers with long arched bills, striped faces, and

graduated tails that on some species have long white central feathers. Ages/sexes mostly similar. Mainly

feed low and often ‘trap-line,’ making predictable circuits to isolated single flowers or groups of flowers

(like a hunter checking traps); sometimes defend flower patches in Heliconia thickets. Will visit feeders.

STRIPE-THROATED HERMIT  Phaethornis striigularis 9–9.5cm. Tiny, dis­

tinctive hummer of humid forest and edge, Heliconia thickets, gallery forest.

Note small size, striped face, rusty rump. Feeds low to high, zipping quickly

among and between flowers, often low along edges. Males gather to sing, usually

a few birds 5–10m apart, perched low in dense understory, often within 1m of

the forest floor; tail wagged constantly while singing. Ages/sexes similar.

SOUNDS: Call a high sharp siip! suggesting Long-billed Hermit but weaker. Song

a high, squeaky, prolonged jerky warble with slightly tinny quality, often

frustratingly difficult to pinpoint; suggests song of northern Orange-billed

Sparrow but slightly slower-paced, more hesitant. STATUS: Fairly common on both slopes, to 1500m;

uncommon and local in drier nw. lowlands. (Mexico to nw. S America.)

BRONZY HERMIT  Glaucis aeneus 10–11cm. Humid lowland forest edge and

second growth, streamsides, swampy areas, especially with Heliconia thickets.

Mainly low and often difficult to see well, zipping among Heliconia patches;

males sing alone, not in leks, in dense understory. Note rusty underparts,

weakly striped face, bronzy-green upperparts, and diagnostic tail pattern with

bright rufous base. Sexes similar; juv. duller overall, especially on underparts.

SOUNDS: Thin downslurred tsiew, often in short series. Varied song alternates

high, mostly downslurred whistles with squeaky descending twitters and short

trills, up to 6 secs. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly common on both slopes, locally

to 750m on s. Pacific slope. (Honduras to w. Ecuador.)

BAND-TAILED BARBTHROAT  Threnetes ruckeri 11–12cm. Humid forest

and edge, Heliconia thickets. Mainly low and often difficult to see well, zipping

about quickly in shady understory; males sing alone or in small leks, from low

perch in understory. Note distinctive face and breast pattern, white base to tail.

Sexes similar; juv. duller overall. SOUNDS: High, sharp, downslurred ziik, often

doubled, shriller than other hermit calls. Song recalls Bronzy Hermit, alternates

descending squeaky trills and high downslurred notes, with overall slightly

jerky cadence, up to 7 secs. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly common on both

slopes, rarely to 1200m. (Guatemala to nw. S America.)

LONG-BILLED HERMIT  Phaethornis longirostris 16–17cm. Most frequently

seen hermit in most areas. A spectacular if dull-plumaged hummer of humid

forest understory, adjacent second growth, Heliconia thickets, gallery forest. Note

long white tail streamers, long arched bill, striped face, pale grayish underparts.

Typical views brief, as birds zip between flowering patches to feed, often hovering

briefly with white tail streamers near vertical and quivered. Singing males gather

seasonally in leks, perching 1–4m up and often 10–15m apart in shady understo­

ry; tail wagged constantly while singing. Ages/sexes similar. SOUNDS: Call a high,

lisping, emphatic sweik! often given in flight as birds zip past. Song a monoto­

nously repeated, slightly buzzy zzreih, zzreih..., about 2 notes/sec. STATUS: Fairly common to common on

both slopes, locally to 1200m; uncommon and local in drier nw. lowlands. (Mexico to Colombia.)