The hook-billed hermit (''Glaucis dohrnii'') is an
threatened species of
hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...
in the family
Trochilidae. It is
endemic to a small area of
Brazil.
[
]
Taxonomy and systematics
The hook-billed hermit was for a time placed in genus ''Ramphodon'', but morphological characteristics place it firmly in ''Glaucis''. It is monotypic.[Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved August 24, 2021][Hinkelmann, C. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Hook-billed Hermit (''Glaucis dohrnii''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.hobher2.01 retrieved November 14, 2021][
]
Description
The hook-billed hermit is long. Males weigh and females . Its upperparts are greenish bronze and the underparts cinnamon. The face has a white supercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head.Dunn and Alderfer (2006), p. 10 Also ...
and "moustache" and is otherwise dusky. The tail is metallic bronze with white-tipped outer feathers. Its bill is nearly straight. The sexes have essentially the same plumage though the female's underparts are somewhat paler than the male's.[
]
Distribution and habitat
The hook-billed hermit is found only at a few sites in the southeastern Brazilian states of Bahia and Espírito Santo in Neotropical realm forest climates. It probably formerly occurred in Minas Gerais and possibly Rio de Janeiro states, though in the latter it is known only from trade skins that might have originated elsewhere. It inhabits the understory of inland primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
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Works
* ...
and littoral forests, usually along streams. It favors areas with abundant ''Heliconia'' plants. In elevation it ranges from sea level to .[
]
Behavior
Movement
The hook-billed hermit is thought to be sedentary or a non migration period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...
lifestyle. However, the few records from any one site make that determination difficult.[
]
Feeding
Like other hermit hummingbirds, the hook-billed hermit is a " trap-line" feeder, visiting a circuit of flowering plants. It feeds on nectar at ''Heliconia'' and other plants and also on small arthropods, but details are lacking.[
]
Breeding
The hook-billed hermit's breeding season is believed to span from September to February. The nest is made from plant material and cobwebs under the tip of a long drooping leaf. Its clutch is two eggs.[
]
Vocalization
The hook-billed hermit's song is described as similar to those of the rufous-breasted hermit (''G. hirsutus''), a "rapid 'seep-seep-seep'", and the saw-billed hermit (''Ramphodon naevius''), "a descending series...of 'seee' notes."[Hinkelmann, C. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Saw-billed Hermit (''Ramphodon naevius''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173 retrieved November 13, 2021]
Status
The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
originally assessed the hook-billed hermit in 1988 as Threatened, then in 1994 as Critically Endangered, then in 2000 as Endangered, and in 2021 as Vulnerable. Its small range has undergone massive deforestation and what remains is fragmented. Its population is estimated at under 10,000 mature individuals and is believed to be decreasing.[ It may now only occur only in a few reserves and national parks in Bahia and one in Espírito Santo.][
]
References
External links
Hook-billed Hermit photo gallery
VIREO
{{Taxonbar, from=Q263820
hook-billed hermit
The hook-billed hermit (''Glaucis dohrnii'') is an threatened species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is endemic to a small area of Brazil.
Taxonomy and systematics
The hook-billed hermit was for a time placed in genus ''Ramphodo ...
Birds of the Atlantic Forest
Endemic birds of Brazil
Endangered biota of South America
hook-billed hermit
The hook-billed hermit (''Glaucis dohrnii'') is an threatened species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is endemic to a small area of Brazil.
Taxonomy and systematics
The hook-billed hermit was for a time placed in genus ''Ramphodo ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot