Introduction
The Little Hermit, Phaethornis longuemareus, is a small hummingbird of northern South America and Trinidad. It is a resident species of humid lowland habitats, where it feeds mainly on nectar and supplements its diet with small insects and spiders. Its muted brown, bronze and olive plumage helps it move inconspicuously through shaded vegetation.
Physical Description
The Little Hermit is approximately 9 to 10 centimetres long and weighs about 2.5 to 3.5 grams. It has a slender, down-curved bill of roughly 2.5 centimetres, suited to extracting nectar from tubular flowers.
The upperparts are generally olive-green to bronzy-brown, while the underparts are greyer and paler. The head is dark, with contrasting pale facial markings, including a light supercilium and moustachial area. The tail is brownish with conspicuous pale or white tips, including elongated central feathers that are especially useful for identification. The bill is dark above, with a paler or yellowish base to the lower mandible.
The sexes are broadly similar in appearance, although males may have a slightly darker throat. No pronounced age-related plumage differences are well documented, so young birds are best identified by their small size, structure, habitat and tail pattern rather than by colour alone.
Range and Habitat
The Little Hermit occurs in north-eastern Venezuela, northern Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad. It is a resident rather than a long-distance migrant, although local movements may occur as birds follow flowering plants and suitable feeding areas.
It uses humid lowland environments, including forest edges, secondary woodland, shaded undergrowth, gardens, plantations, mangroves and swampy areas. In Trinidad it also occurs in rainforest. The species is often found close to the ground, particularly where dense vegetation, water and flowering plants provide cover and food.
Taxonomic treatments have changed in the past, and several small hermits once included within Phaethornis longuemareus are now generally treated as separate species. The range described here follows the current treatment of the Little Hermit.
Where to See This Species
Asa Wright Nature Centre, Arima Valley, Trinidad and Tobago
The Asa Wright Nature Centre protects forest and shaded habitats in the Arima Valley, within the Little Hermit’s Trinidad range. The species has been recorded in the Northern Range, and birding reports have documented it around flowering plants and trails near the centre. Look carefully in shaded undergrowth and around small flowering plants, especially during quiet periods of the morning.
Nearby accommodation: Arima is the nearest practical town, with hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation. Accommodation may also be available at or near the nature centre when visitor facilities are operating.
Réserve naturelle Trésor, Roura, French Guiana
Réserve naturelle Trésor lies in the forested Kaw area of French Guiana and includes the Little Hermit on its documented bird lists and management records. The reserve’s botanical trail and forest-edge habitats provide suitable places to search for a small hermit moving through shaded vegetation and flowering plants.
Nearby accommodation: Roura and the Kaw area are the nearest practical bases, with guest houses, small lodges and other nature-tourism accommodation. Cayenne provides a wider choice of hotels for visitors using the reserve as a day excursion.
Parc amazonien de Guyane, French Guiana
The Parc amazonien de Guyane has recent documented observations of the Little Hermit, including records within its extensive protected-forest network. Because the park is remote and the species can be inconspicuous, sightings are most realistic along accessible forest trails, clearings and settled areas with flowering vegetation, rather than deep in closed forest alone.
Nearby accommodation: Maripasoula and Saül are important gateway settlements, with basic guest houses, lodges and community accommodation. Facilities are limited, and visitors should arrange transport and accommodation before travelling.
Behaviour and Diet
The Little Hermit is usually encountered alone while foraging. Like other hermits, it may follow a regular route between flowering plants, a behaviour known as trap-lining. It commonly visits low-growing heliconias and other tubular flowers, hovering briefly or perching nearby while taking nectar with its long tongue.
Nectar provides most of its energy, but insects and spiders are also important, particularly during breeding. The bird may glean or snatch small invertebrates from leaves, twigs, webs and other vegetation. By visiting flowers as it moves between feeding sites, it contributes to the pollination of tropical plants.
Males may gather at traditional display or singing areas, where they compete for female attention through calls, tail movements, hovering and other aerial displays. After mating, the female is responsible for nest construction, incubation and care of the young. The nest is made from plant fibres and other fine materials and is typically attached beneath a leaf or similar support. Clutches normally contain two white eggs, but precise breeding dates and success rates vary across the range.
Identification Tips
- Look for a very small hermit with a long, down-curved bill and subdued olive, bronze and brown plumage.
- The pale facial stripes and greyish underparts contrast with the darker head.
- White or pale tail tips can flash as the bird moves through shaded vegetation.
- Search low in dense undergrowth, forest edges, gardens and around heliconias or other tubular flowers.
- The species is generally less brightly coloured than many hummingbirds, so movement, structure and habitat are often more useful than plumage colour.
- In areas where several hermits occur, compare bill shape, body size and tail pattern carefully. The Little Hermit’s small size and pale-tipped tail help separate it from larger hermits, but brief views may require confirmation from photographs or repeated sightings.
Conservation Status
The Little Hermit is classified as Least Concern. It remains fairly common across much of its broad range, but habitat loss and degradation caused by deforestation, agricultural expansion, development and the removal of forest-edge vegetation may affect local populations.
Protecting lowland forest, mangroves, secondary woodland and flowering undergrowth benefits the species. Maintaining connected habitat and avoiding unnecessary clearance of native flowering plants are practical conservation measures, particularly around protected areas and wildlife-viewing sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Little Hermit live?
It occurs in north-eastern Venezuela, northern Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad. It is mainly a lowland bird of humid forest, forest edges, secondary vegetation, gardens, plantations and mangroves.
Is the Little Hermit a migratory bird?
No. It is considered a resident species rather than a long-distance migrant. Local movements may occur when birds follow flowering plants or changing food availability.
What does the Little Hermit eat?
It feeds mainly on nectar from tubular flowers, including heliconias and other tropical plants. It also captures small insects and spiders, which provide protein and other nutrients.
How can the Little Hermit be identified?
Look for a very small, brownish or olive hermit with a long curved bill, pale facial stripes, greyish underparts and pale or white tail tips. It is often found low in shaded vegetation.
Does the Little Hermit build its own nest?
The female builds the nest and undertakes incubation and care of the young. The nest is made from plant fibres and other fine materials and is usually attached beneath a leaf or similar support.
Is the Little Hermit endangered?
It is currently assessed as Least Concern. Even so, local populations may be affected by the loss and degradation of humid forest, mangroves, secondary woodland and flowering undergrowth.
References
- BirdLife International
- IOC World Bird List
- University of the West Indies, The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago
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