Great-billed Hermit
Phaethornis malaris
The Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris) is a rare hummingbird found in 8 countries, weighing about 6 g. The great-billed hermit is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.
About the Great-billed Hermit
The great-billed hermit is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The great-billed hermit is 13 to 17.5 cm (5.1 to 6.9 in) long. Males weigh 4.5 to 10 g (0.16 to 0.35 oz) and females 4 to 8 g (0.14 to 0.28 oz). The nominate subspecies is the largest. It has greenish-brown upperparts and brownish to grayish underparts. Its uppertail coverts have dark and light ochre bands and the central tail feathers are long with long white tips. It has a long decurved bill, with the female's being shorter but more curved than the male's. P. m. insolitus is smaller than the nominate but otherwise similar. P. m. moorei has paler, grayer, underparts than the nominate. P. m. Voice: The great-billed hermit's song is generally "a continuous series of single, bisyllablic rising, falling 'slee-up' notes" that differs somewhat among the subspecies. It also makes "a sharp 'skweep!'" call, usually in flight.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Great-billed Hermit can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Great-billed Hermit?
- The great-billed hermit is 13 to 17.5 cm (5.1 to 6.9 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Great-billed Hermit?
- The Great-billed Hermit is a tiny sized bird weighing about 6 g.
- Where can you see a Great-billed Hermit?
- The Great-billed Hermit occurs in 8 countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Brazil.
- What birds look similar to a Great-billed Hermit?
- The Great-billed Hermit is most easily confused with the Grey-chinned Hermit, the White-bearded Hermit and the Sooty-capped Hermit.
- Is the Great-billed Hermit endangered?
- The Great-billed Hermit is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Great-billed Hermit for real
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