Great-billed Hermit
Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris)
Name Origin:
The genus Phaethornis is derived from Phaethon, son of the sun god Helios in Greek mythology, symbolizing radiance and motion. The species epithet malaris refers to the “cheek” or “jaw,” likely referencing the strong facial stripe typical of hermits.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 14–15.5 cm (5.5–6.1 in)
⚖️ Weight: 6.0–8.0 g (0.21–0.28 oz)
🌎 Range: Amazon Basin and Atlantic Forest of South America
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Humid lowland and foothill forest, riverine edge, and secondary growth
🧬 Clade: Phaethornithinae “Hermits”
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Six subspecies:
1. Phaethornis malaris insolitus
Distribution: Eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and adjacent northern Brazil (northwestern Amazonas).
2. Phaethornis malaris malaris
Distribution: Suriname and French Guiana south to central-northern Brazil (Amapá).
3. Phaethornis malaris moorei
Distribution: Eastern and southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru (north of the Marañón River).
4. Phaethornis malaris ochraceiventris
Distribution: Northeastern Peru (south of the Marañón River) and western Brazil (south of the Amazon, east to the lower Madeira River).
5. Phaethornis malaris bolivianus
Distribution: Southeastern Peru to central Bolivia (west to Santa Cruz) and western Brazil, south of the Amazon (Madeira River east to the Tapajós River).
6. Phaethornis malaris margarettae
Distribution: Coastal eastern Brazil, from Pernambuco south to Espírito Santo.
Species Overview
The Great-billed Hermit is a robust, wide-ranging species distinguished by its long, strongly decurved bill — the largest among South American hermits. It inhabits humid lowland forests throughout the Amazon Basin and extends eastward into Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, where the isolated subspecies margarettae (Margaretta’s Hermit) occurs. Like other hermits, it is a traplining species, visiting a circuit of flowering plants rather than defending a single feeding territory.
Male Description:
The male has bronze-olive upperparts, a grayish-brown throat and chest, and rufous underparts. A distinctive pale supercilium and dark facial stripe frame the face. The tail is dark brown with white terminal tips and a narrow central extension. The long bill is strongly decurved and blackish.
Female Description:
The female is similar but smaller, with a shorter bill and paler underparts. Her tail is shorter and more rounded.
Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits humid lowland rainforest, riverine forest, and mature secondary growth, often near streams or tall flowering plants. Feeds primarily on nectar from Heliconia, Costus, and Psychotria, occasionally taking small insects for protein. The Great-billed Hermit follows predictable traplines, visiting the same feeding sites daily. Its flight is swift and direct, accompanied by a high-pitched “tsee-tsee” call.
Conservation Note:
The Great-billed Hermit is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains common and widespread. Its adaptability to secondary forest and riverine habitats supports stable populations, although deforestation in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest continues to fragment its range. It is present in major reserves, including Yasuní National Park (Ecuador), Serra do Mar State Park (Brazil), and Manu National Park (Peru). Protecting lowland and coastal rainforest corridors will ensure the long-term survival of all six subspecies, including the geographically isolated margarettae.
Below is the Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris ochraceiventris)
Photographed at Waqanki / Quebrada Mishquiyaquillo, San Martín, Peru
This individual belongs to the subspecies ochraceiventris, which occurs along the eastern slope of the Andes in eastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru (Loreto and San Martín). It inhabits humid lowland and foothill forest, forest edge, and riverine woodland between 200 and 1,200 meters elevation.
The ochraceiventris form is recognized by its slightly paler underparts and warmer, more ochraceous belly compared to bolivianus, with similar structure and vocalizations. The species is unmistakable in the field for its large size, heavily decurved bill, and loud, buzzing calls from deep forest leks.
