Dusky-throated Hermit
Phaethornis squalidus
Small understory hummingbird found in montane forest and dense second growth. Note its strongly curved bill and prominent dark mask and a pale eyebrow. Largely brownish, but is slightly, green above and paler below. The long tail is strongly graduated, dark at the base with pale tips. It is similar to Scale-throated Hermit, but Dusky-throated Hermit is smaller with a pale throat.
Identification
The dusky-throated hermit is 10 to 12.5 cm (3.9 to 4.9 in) long and weighs 2.5 to 3.5 g (0.088 to 0.12 oz). It is a medium-sized hermit hummingbird. It is generally brownish with a greenish back and ochraceous underparts. It has a black "mask" and white supercilium and malar stripe and a dark brown throat. The sexes are generally alike, though the female may have paler underparts and a slightly more decurved bill.
Taxonomy
The dusky-throated hermit has sometimes included what is now (2021) the streak-throated hermit (P. rupurumii) but it is now treated as monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Phaethornis squalidus
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1822)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Phaethornis
Range and habitat
The dusky-throated hermit is found in southeastern Brazil, mostly from southern Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south to Santa Catarina, and also in the Iguazu Falls area of western Paraná. It inhabits the understory of humid primary and secondary forest from the littoral zone to an elevation of 2,250 m (7,400 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The dusky-throated hermit is believed to be sedentary.<p>The dusky-throated hermit feeds on nectar and also on small arthropods, but details of its diet and foraging technique have not been published.<p>The dusky-throated hermit's breeding season spans from October to February. Its nest is a cone-shaped cup suspended from the underside of a drooping leaf. The clutch size is two eggs and the female alone incubates them.<p>The dusky-throated hermit's song is "a complex warbling high-pitched phrase repeated continuously...e.g. 'tsi-teeé-tsa-tsa-tseé-CHAW-CHAW'." Its call is "a high-pitched 'tsee!'."
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chiloe Wigeon
Mareca sibilatrix
Handsome and distinctive duck. Sexes look similar, but male averages brighter. Note the striking face pattern (duller on young and on adults in late summer), bright rusty sides, and bold white forewing patches that show in flight. Often common in wetlands, marshes, at lakes, and along river mouths. Associates readily with other waterfowl, but more often seen on shore, grazing in grassy areas.
Rusty-cheeked Hornbill
Anorrhinus tickelli
Brownish, medium-sized hornbill. Male is dusty brown above and rusty-colored below, with a pale bill and blue-gray skin around the eye. Female is similarly patterned, but is duller overall, with a dark bill. Very similar to closely related Brown Hornbill, with which it overlaps in the far northern edge of its range; look for a darker brown throat in the male and a black (instead of white) bill in the female. Gives loud whistled screams.
Black Goshawk
Astur melanoleucus
Large black-and-white goshawk. Most individuals have a white breast, but some have almost completely black underparts. Immatures have dark streaks below, over a white or rusty base color. Found in forest, woodland, thick savanna, and plantations. Calls are a long wail and an agitated scolding series. Dark-breasted birds similar to dark-morph Gabar Goshawk and Ovambo Sparrowhawk but are larger and have yellow legs and base of the bill. Somewhat similar to hawk-eagles, but much longer-tailed and faster in flight.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.