Saw-billed Hermit
Ramphodon naevius
Large strikingly-patterned hummingbird of the Atlantic Forest understory, but also visits feeders along forest edges. Note the distinctive bicolored bill with a hooked tip, pale eyebrow, and an orange throat bleeding into a pin-striped breast. The tail is dark with orange sides. The female is slightly smaller with a shorter and more curved bill.
Identification
The saw-billed hermit is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 5.3 to 9 g (0.19 to 0.32 oz). It is one of the three heaviest hermits and the male is heavier than the female. Both sexes have saw-like serrations on the mandible and the male's bill has a hooked tip as well. (The unrelated tooth-billed hummingbird (Androdon aequatorialis) is the only other hummingbird that has a serrated bill.) Both sexes have scaly brown upperparts and dark and pale striped underparts. They have a reddish ochre throat, a dark patch through the eye, and a white supercilium. The upper side of the tail is purplish black while the underside has progressively more buff at the ends to the outer pair of feathers.
Taxonomy
The saw-billed hermit is placed in the hermit subfamily Phaethornithinae, but among these birds, it is the species most similar to the typical hummingbirds, Trochilinae. It is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies.
- Scientific name
- Ramphodon naevius
- Authority
- (Dumont, 1818)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Ramphodon
Range and habitat
The saw-billed hermit is found in a narrow band of southeastern Brazil from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south to eastern Santa Catarina and northernmost Rio Grande do Sul. It inhabits the understory of the humid coastal Atlantic Forest up to an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The saw-billed hermit is presumed to be sedentary, but there is speculation that it makes some short-range movements.<p>The saw-billed hermit feeds on the nectar of a wide range of native and introduced flowering plants; most share the characteristic of tubular blossoms. It typically feeds within about 6 m (20 ft) of the ground but has been noted as high as 15 m (49 ft). Like other hermit hummingbirds it is a "trap-line" feeder, visiting a circuit of flowering plants. However, unlike many other trap-liners it defends its route by aggressive behavior towards conspecific and other hummingbirds. In addition to nectar, it feeds on small arthropods gleaned from vegetation.<p>The saw-billed hermit's breeding season has not been fully defined but appears to include July to September. It builds its cone-shaped cup nest from plant material and cobwebs under the tip of a long drooping leaf. Its clutch is two eggs.<p>The saw-billed hermit's song is a "very high, chattering twitter". Calls include "a sustained, rapid series of very high 'bic' notes" and "a descending series...of 'seee' notes." The calls are apparently used while defending the trap-line.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-throated Bulbul
Pycnonotus xantholaemus
Plain, pale brownish bulbul. Endemic to very specialized habitat in South India. Only found in hills with dry rocky scrub and boulders, co-occurring locally with the more widespread White-browed Bulbul throughout its range. Although both species have a yellow vent and can sound similar, Yellow-throated can be distinguished by its yellow head that contrasts with its whitish underparts. Usually occurring in pairs, it tends to rove along regular circuits, often perching on exposed rocks and boulders. Voice like White-browed’s, but more melodious and higher in pitch.
Buff-banded Bushbird
Cincloramphus bivittatus
A small rufous songbird with a longish tail and a stout bill. Uniform rufous-brown above with a thick buff eyebrow, and pale below with a warm buff wash on throat and breast. Juvenile duller, less rufous, with ill-defined eyebrow. A secretive bird, found singly or in pairs within thickets inside lowland and hill forest. Confined to Timor. Combination of heavy bill, broad buff brow, long tail, unmarked upperparts, and buff wash to throat and breast separates it from all other brown, warbler-like songbirds. Song is a crisp two- to three-note “zwi-chit” or “zi-chiwit.” Also gives trills and grating rattles.
Rüppell's Starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
A large, fairly long-tailed dark and glossy starling. Sometimes looks black, but in good light, shows iridescence that is mostly purple, with a green wing and a maroon belly. Found in moist savanna, woodland, gardens, and cultivated areas, often on the ground, typically in small flocks. Especially fond of manicured lawns. Similar to Long-tailed Glossy Starling, but shorter-tailed and more purple overall. The loud and complex vocalizations include a mix of rattles, scratches, and piercing whistles.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.