Straight-billed Hermit Phaethornis bourcieri Scientific name definitions

Frequently on the go, the Straight-billed Hermit flies quickly along the understory foraging at flowers. While it resembles other large hermits, the Straight-billed Hummingbird is fairly drab and very appropriately named with its identifiable, straight bill. Males have small singing territories where they wiggle their tails as they sing. These hermits are considered common throughout their range.

12–14 cm (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); 3·5–5 g (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ). Medium-sized hermit with olive-green upperparts  and brownish (“whitelyi coloration”) to greyish (“bourcieri coloration”) underparts ; straight bill . Female has shorter wings and bill; almost no curvature visible in bill. Juvenile has pale ochraceous edging to feathers of upperparts. Race major  significantly larger in all measurements, with plumage coloration similar to nominate form with greyish underparts.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Understorey of lowland terra firme rainforest, and dense areas of adjacent semi-deciduous or pre-montane forest, up to 1600 m in S Venezuelan mountains; occasionally at forest edge, in bamboo thickets, dense shrubbery, várzea forest, second growth or plantations.

Nectar  and small arthropods. Recorded at flowers  of Manettia, Guzmania and Vriesea; feeds by trap-lining.

Song quite different compared to most large Phaethornis: a high-pitched phrase repeated over and over, punctuated by short dull-sounding notes, “tsii’ti’ti’tsii...tip...tip...tsii’ti’ti’tsii....tip...tip...tip...”. Calls inclue a rather monotonous “tseet” and a dull “chep”, usually given in flight.

Mar–May in Brazil; active nests Sept in Manaus and Amapá, Brazil, Oct in French Guiana, Sept in Colombia; gonadal activity Sept in Colombia, and Jul, Aug, Oct, Nov in Peru. Nest is long, cone-shaped cup of plant matter and cobweb fastened under tip of long, hanging leaf; height 52 mm, external diameter 50 mm and internal diameter 20 mm (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ). Two white eggs, size 8·5 mm × 13 mm (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); incubation 17–18 days, by female; fledging c. 23 days. At hatching, chick has eyes closed and down scattered over body.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Common throughout its range, which has recently been demonstrated to extend well S of the Amazon to Acre (2 Guilherme, E. (2016). Aves do Acre. Editoria da Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil. Close ). Regularly seen in primary forest at the Voltzberg Nature Reserve, Suriname, with local population density of at least 2–3 pairs/km². Occurs in several protected areas, e.g. Amacayacu National Park (Colombia) and Imataca Forest Reserve (Venezuela).