Planalto Hermit

Scientific name: Phaethornis pretrei

The Planalto Hermit is a medium-sized hermit hummingbird of open and semi‑open habitats, scrub, woodland edges, and human‑modified landscapes across south‑central South America. The number of mature individuals is unknown, the population trend is decreasing, it is not a migrant, and it is currently assessed as Least Concern.

At a Glance

• Family: Trochilidae (hummingbirds)

• Clade: Phaethornithinae – Hermits

• Genus: Phaethornis — 27 species in total

• Range: Eastern and south‑central Brazil, eastern Bolivia, much of Paraguay, northern Argentina, with records in Peru

• Habitat: Scrubby areas, dry forest, cerrado, caatinga, woodland and forest edges, gallery forest, riverine woodland, parks and gardens

• Elevation: About 400–2,100 m (1,300–6,900 ft)

• Length: About 14–16.5 cm (5.5–6.5 in)

• Weight: Males 4.5–7 g; females 3–5 g

• Number of mature individuals: Unknown

• Population trend: Decreasing

• Movement: Not a migrant

• IUCN Red List category: Least Concern

Name Origin
The genus name Phaethornis references Phaethon of Greek mythology and the sun, combined with “bird,” and is used for hermit hummingbirds. The species name pretrei honors French naturalist Jean Baptiste Adolphe Prêtre. The English name “Planalto Hermit” refers to the Brazilian Planalto (plateau) region, where this species is especially characteristic.

Taxonomy
Phaethornis pretrei is a hermit hummingbird in the subfamily Phaethornithinae. It forms a superspecies with the Sooty-capped Hermit (Phaethornis augusti), together representing larger hermits adapted to drier, more open, or plateau habitats than many forest‑interior Phaethornis species.

Subspecies and Distribution
Monotypic — no subspecies recognized.

Distribution:
The Planalto Hermit occurs from northeast and south‑central Brazil south and west into eastern Bolivia, much of Paraguay, and marginally northern Argentina, with scattered records in Peru. It is found south of the Amazon rainforest in a broad band across the Brazilian interior and adjacent regions. Unlike many hermits, it is not restricted to dense rainforest and instead inhabits a wide variety of open and semi‑open habitats, including scrubby areas, dry forest, cerrado, caatinga, gallery forest, riverine woodland, and even gardens, orchards, and city parks.

Legend
Green Resident

Species Overview
The Planalto Hermit is a fairly large, reddish‑toned hermit with olive‑green upperparts, reddish uppertail coverts, and rich cinnamon underparts. Its face shows the typical hermit pattern: a dark mask through the eye, bordered above by a white supercilium and below by a white gular stripe. It has a long, slightly decurved bill and very long central tail feathers tipped white, with the inner rectrices slightly longer than the rest. More tolerant of open, dry, and human‑modified landscapes than many hermits, it is often seen traplining in gardens, orchards, scrub, and along forest edges.

Male Description
Males measure about 14–16.5 cm and weigh 4.5–7 g. Upperparts are mostly olive‑green, with distinctly reddish or rufous uppertail coverts and rump. The entire underparts, from throat to belly, are warm cinnamon‑red, giving the bird a rich, reddish appearance. The facial pattern includes a blackish mask across the lores and eye, a narrow white line over the eye, and a whitish gular stripe below. The tail is long and somewhat graduated; the central tail feathers are elongated and all rectrices show white tips, with the next‑to‑inner feathers longer than the outer ones. The bill is long, slender, and slightly decurved, adapted for both nectar feeding and gleaning small arthropods.

Female Description
Females are similar in plumage but smaller and lighter, weighing about 3–5 g. They share the olive‑green upperparts, reddish rump, cinnamon underparts, and characteristic facial pattern. The bill may be slightly shorter and more strongly decurved than in males, following a typical hermit sexual pattern. Juveniles resemble adults but can show slightly duller tones, fresher feather edges, and less crisp facial markings until their first molt.

Habitat & Behavior
Planalto Hermits occupy a broad range of open and semi‑open habitats, including scrubby areas, dry forest, cerrado, caatinga, secondary forest, gallery forest along watercourses, riverine woodland, and landscaped areas such as gardens, parks, and orchards. They are often associated with flowering shrubs and trees in both natural and human‑modified environments and can be surprisingly common near towns where suitable habitat remains.

They are classic trapline feeders, following regular circuits between flowering plants rather than defending a single patch. They visit a wide range of tubular flowers, including native shrubs, trees, and ornamental plants, and supplement their diet with small arthropods such as insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or captured in short sallies. Birds can be quite active and restless, moving quickly between flowers and perches, and are often first detected by their movements in low vegetation rather than by song.

Breeding
The Planalto Hermit’s breeding season varies regionally but often spans from roughly August to April. The female builds a long, cone‑shaped nest of plant fibers, rootlets, and spiderweb, often suspended from a vertical branch, in a cavity on a rock face, or under human structures such as culverts, bridges, or building overhangs—less strictly under leaves than many other Phaethornis. The nest hangs by a strong cable of spiderweb and can stretch as the chicks grow.

A typical clutch consists of two white eggs. The female alone constructs the nest, incubates the eggs, and feeds the nestlings by regurgitation. Incubation and nestling periods together span several weeks, with fledging occurring once the young are fully feathered and capable of sustained flight between trapline flowers.

Movement
The Planalto Hermit is considered not a migrant. It is resident throughout its range, although individuals may move locally along elevational gradients and between habitat types, particularly following flowering patterns and seasonal rainfall shifts within the cerrado and caatinga. These adjustments are local and irregular rather than regular long‑distance migrations.

Population
The total number of mature individuals is unknown, but the species is generally described as widespread and often common in suitable habitat across much of its range. It is one of the hermit hummingbirds most frequently seen in open and semi‑open landscapes in Brazil and neighboring countries. Despite this apparent abundance, ongoing habitat conversion—especially of cerrado, caatinga, and dry forest to agriculture and pasture—likely contributes to a gradual overall decline.

Conservation
The Planalto Hermit is assessed as Least Concern due to its large range and adaptability to a variety of open and human‑modified habitats. It occurs in numerous protected areas and frequently uses gardens and parks where flowering plants are abundant. However, large‑scale loss and fragmentation of native scrub, savanna, and woodland, as well as simplification of urban and rural gardens that removes nectar plants, can negatively affect local populations. Maintaining diverse flowering vegetation in both natural and anthropogenic landscapes is important for sustaining this species.

Related species in the Phaethornis genus (27 species total)

Please note: The content provided in this article reflects Anthony’s personal experience and photographic approach. Results can vary depending on light, weather, location, equipment, subject behavior, and field conditions.