Bird Guide

Grey-chinned Hermit vs Pale-bellied Hermit

Grey-chinned Hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis)

Grey-chinned Hermit

Phaethornis griseogularis

Tiny2 gForest

The nominate P. g. griseogularis and P. g. zonura subspecies of grey-chinned hermit are 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) long; males weigh 1.8 to 2.5 g (0.06 to 0.09 oz) and females 1.9 to 3 g (0.07 to 0.11 oz). P. g. porcullae is about 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long and weighs about 2.5 g (0.09 oz). It also has longer wings than the other two subspecies. All three subspecies have generally greenish upperparts, a cinnamon red rump, and dark tail feathers with white tips. Males have a grayish throat and cinnamon red underparts, often with a black band across the chest. Male P. g. Voice: The songs of P. g. griseogularis and P. g. zonura are "high-pitched series of notes repeated incessantly without pauses between phrases...several, evenly-spaced, slightly rising, single notes followed by a more complex warble, e.g. 'tsi ... tsee ... tseeé ... tseotsetsee'." Their call is "an explosive 'tseek!' that is mostly given in flight. The song of P. g.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Grey-chinned Hermit
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Zamora-Chinchipe: Filo de Chumbiriatza, tepui 4.5 km SW Las Orchideas, above "Cabañas Yankuam", Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0
Pale-bellied Hermit (Phaethornis anthophilus)

Pale-bellied Hermit

Phaethornis anthophilus

Tiny6 gForest

The pale-bellied hermit is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh 4.5 to 5.5 g (0.16 to 0.19 oz) and females 4 to 5 g (0.14 to 0.18 oz). This medium-sized hermit has dark green to olive green upperparts and light gray underparts. The face has a black "mask" with a buffy supercilium and a mostly white throat. The male's bill is almost straight and the female's is decurved. P. a. hyalinus has more bluish green upperparts and paler underparts than the nominate. Members of the suggested P. a. fuscicapillus have shorter wings and bills than the rest of the nominate. Voice: The pale-bellied hermit's song has not been well described. Its calls are "rather piercing, high-pitched notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey-chinned Hermit and Pale-bellied Hermit.