Bird Guide

Tawny-bellied Hermit vs White-whiskered Hermit

Tawny-bellied Hermit (Phaethornis syrmatophorus)

Tawny-bellied Hermit

Phaethornis syrmatophorus

Tiny6 gForest

The tawny-bellied hermit is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighs 5 to 7 g (0.18 to 0.25 oz). This medium-sized hermit's upperparts are olive green, and males have reddish-orange uppertail coverts. The central tail feathers of both sexes are long and white and the rest are dark with bright orange ends. The nominate subspecies has an orange throat, belly, and undertail coverts; the throat and chest of P. s. columbianus are dark brown. Both sexes have an obviously decurved bill with the female's being more curved than the male's. Voice: The tawny-bellied hermit's song is "a continuous series of single, high-pitched, almost insect-like 'tsi' calls". Several males often sing at a lek. The species also gives flight calls of "an upslurred 'peeet!'" and "a soft 'stip'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jacob Saucier · CC BY 4.0
White-whiskered Hermit (Phaethornis yaruqui)

White-whiskered Hermit

Phaethornis yaruqui

Tiny5 gForest

The white-whiskered hermit is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh 4 to 7 g (0.14 to 0.25 oz) and females 4 to 6.5 g (0.14 to 0.23 oz). This medium-sized hermit has a bronzy crown and iridescent bluish green upperparts. Its underparts are green to dark gray. The face has a black "mask" with a buffy supercilium and a white gular stripe. The male's bill is almost straight. The female has a shorter and gently decurved bill, shorter wings, more grayish underparts, and a longer tail than the male. Voice: The white-whiskered hermit's song is "a continuous series of rather harsh 'kree-u' notes". It also gives a series of "seek" notes while wagging its tail on a low perch at a lek.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-whiskered Hermit
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · El Oro: Reserva Buenaventura 9 km WNW Piñas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: John G. Phillips · 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: Tawny-bellied Hermit and White-whiskered Hermit.