Reddish Hermit
Open Bird Bucket List ↗
Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Phaethornis ruber
- Spanish Name: Ermitaño rojizo
- Family: Trochilidae
- Known Nicknames: Reddish Hermit Hummingbird
- Average Length: 8.4–9.5 cm / 3.3–3.7 in
- Average Weight: 2.1–2.8 g / 0.074–0.099 oz
- Wingspan: 10–12 cm / 3.9–4.7 in
- Key Feature: Decurved bill and rufous-orange underparts
- Primary Diet: Nectarivore (primarily nectar, also small arthropods)
- Range: Amazon Basin, Guianas, and eastern Brazil to northern Bolivia and eastern Peru
- Habitat: Understory of humid lowland tropical rainforest, forest edges, and secondary growth
- Social Structure: Solitary (except during breeding)
- Nesting/Breeding: Cup-shaped nest attached to underside of a palm frond or broad leaf
- Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
- Population Trend: Stable
The Reddish Hermit (*Phaethornis ruber*) is a dazzling, diminutive hummingbird found in the humid lowland forests of South America, from the Amazon basin to the Atlantic Forest. Despite its name, the bird is not truly red; it is distinguished by a striking, deep rufous or cinnamon-colored underbelly and tail, contrasting sharply with its metallic green upperparts and a dark, slightly decurved bill. Its most unique characteristic is its elongated, white-tipped central tail feathers that extend well beyond the rest, giving it a distinctive, elegant silhouette as it hovers. A master of specialized foraging, this hermit uses its long bill to probe the long, tubular flowers of heliconias and other understory plants, often visiting "trap-lines"—a repeated route of specific blooms—while its loud, high-pitched "tseep" call betrays its presence in the dense shadows of the forest.
Fun Facts
Despite its tiny size—one of the smallest hummingbirds in the world—the reddish hermit performs an elaborate, high-pitched courtship song from a fixed perch, often returning to the exact same twig day after day. It has a quirky habit of “tail-pumping,” rhythmically bobbing its long, decurved tail up and down while hovering, which may help with balance or visual signaling. Its curved bill is perfectly adapted to sip nectar from heliconia flowers, and it also engages in “trap-lining,” visiting a specific sequence of flowers in a set route to maximize efficiency. Remarkably, it can enter torpor on cold nights, dropping its body temperature drastically to conserve energy—a survival trick for such a high-metabolism bird.
Habitats & Distribution
The Reddish Hermit is found across a broad swath of northern and central South America, primarily within the Amazon Basin. Its range extends from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, eastward through Venezuela, the Guianas, and much of Brazil. The species inhabits the understory of humid tropical lowland forests, including terra firme and várzea forests, as well as forest edges, secondary growth, and sometimes adjacent clearings with dense vegetation. It is strongly associated with shaded, moist environments near streams or rivers, where it forages for nectar and insects in the dim light of the forest interior.
Behaviours & Reproduction
The reddish hermit is typically solitary, with males defending small, dispersed feeding territories along forest understory trails rather than forming leks. Mating involves a unique "whisper song" display where the male hovers near a perched female, producing a soft, rapid trill. After copulation, the male takes no part in nesting. The female builds a small, cup-shaped nest attached to the underside of a drooping leaf, often near water, and lays two eggs. A notable reproductive strategy is the extremely elongated, decurved bill of both sexes, which co-evolved with specific long-tubed flowers, ensuring a specialized nectar source for the energy-intensive breeding period. Incubation lasts about 14–16 days, and the female alone feeds the chicks regurgitated nectar and small arthropods.
Diet
The Reddish Hermit (Phaethornis ruber) is a specialized nectarivore, feeding almost exclusively on the nectar of long, tubular flowers, particularly those from the families Gesneriaceae, Rubiaceae, and Heliconiaceae. Using its elongated, decurved bill and a rapidly flicking, forked tongue, it hovers while extracting nectar, often preferring flowers in the understory of humid forests. An interesting fact about its diet is that it employs “trap-lining,” visiting a consistent circuit of widely spaced flowers in a predictable sequence throughout the day to maximize efficiency. Additionally, it supplements its high-sugar liquid diet by occasionally catching small arthropods like spiders and insects, which provide essential proteins and amino acids, especially during the breeding season.
Colors
The Reddish Hermit has predominantly reddish-brown to rufous plumage on its upperparts and flanks, with a contrasting pale buff or whitish throat and belly. Its most distinctive feature is a long, decurved black bill and a dark mask through the eye, bordered above and below by pale superciliary and malar stripes. The tail is elongated and graduated, with central feathers tipped in white and outer feathers rufous with blackish subterminal bands, providing camouflage among dappled forest understory light.
Distribution Map
Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Use the map filter to show only featured places.
Featured places
