Bronzy Hermit
Bronzy Hermit (Glaucis aeneus)
Name Origin:
The genus name Glaucis is derived from the Greek glaukos meaning “bluish-gray” or “gleaming,” referring to the metallic reflections in the plumage. The species name aeneus is Latin for “bronze-colored,” describing the bird’s rich bronzy-brown sheen.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 9.5–11.5 cm (3.7–4.5 in)
⚖️ Weight: 4–5 g (0.14–0.18 oz)
🌎 Range: Eastern Honduras to western Panama
🧭 Elevation: 0–1,200 m (0–3,940 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Humid lowland forest understory, plantations, and shaded clearings
🧬 Clade: Phaethornithini "Hermits" (forest understory specialists)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN)
Subspecies & Distribution
Monotypic species with no recognized subspecies.
Distribution: Found from the Caribbean slope of eastern Honduras and Nicaragua south through Costa Rica to western Panama, primarily in humid lowland and foothill forests. It is most common below 1,000 meters but may ascend locally to 1,200 meters.
Species Overview
The Bronzy Hermit is a characteristic species of shaded tropical forests in Central America. With its soft bronze tones, curved bill, and subtle face pattern, it blends perfectly into the dim understory where it forages among heliconias and ginger flowers. Like other hermits, it is a trapliner, visiting a regular circuit of flowering plants rather than defending territories.
Male Description:
The male has bronzy-brown upperparts, rufous underparts, and a bronze-green rump and tail. The tail is tipped with rufous and black, and the throat is slightly paler than the breast. A distinct pale buff facial stripe and dark mask frame the eye. The long, decurved bill is black and well-adapted for deep tubular flowers.
Female Description:
The female is similar but slightly smaller and paler below. Her underparts are lighter cinnamon-brown, and the tail markings are more distinct. Her bill is also somewhat shorter and less strongly curved than the male’s.
Habitat & Behavior:
The Bronzy Hermit inhabits lowland rainforest, swamp forest, and shaded plantations, often foraging near forest edges and clearings with abundant heliconias (Heliconia, Costus, and Etlingera). It follows a trapline feeding pattern, moving along a predictable route of flowering plants. Its call is a sharp, nasal tsip-tsip or a higher-pitched squeak, repeated in short sequences. It occasionally joins mixed hummingbird assemblages near forest gaps.
Conservation Note:
The Bronzy Hermit is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains widespread and locally common throughout its range. It adapts moderately well to secondary forests and shaded agroforestry, provided there is sufficient floral diversity. Ongoing deforestation and habitat conversion in lowland Central America may cause local declines, making forest corridor preservation crucial for sustaining its populations.
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