HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Minute Hermit

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phaethornis idaliae

The Minute Hermit is a tiny species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.

At an average of 2.6 inches long and a weight of under 3 grams, it is one of the smallest known birds. They have a curved bill and a yellow lower bill.

Males have a dark green iridescent back, a dark brown throat with a pale belly and vent, and dark undertail feathers.

Females have an orange throat and breast with white edges to the tail, and their central tail feathers are longer than the males’.

Immature birds have short tails and very dark plumage, almost black throat and chest, and lemon-yellow jaw.

Males sing in their territories and perform displays on the litter that covers the ground.

Feeds mainly on the nectar of flowers, but it also eats small arthropods.

Understory of humid forests and coastal forests (restinga), but also found in second growth and plantations.

Endemic to humid Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, ranging from Rio de Janeiro north to south-eastern Bahia.

The nest has an elongated conical shape, ending in a more or less long caudal appendage, serving as a counterweight.

It is made of soft material like paina and plant debris that accumulates in a thick layer of material.

It is suspended from the inner face of palm leaves, ferns, musaceae, Heliconia, etc. It usually lays 2 elongated eggs.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://ebird.org
http://www.wikiaves.com.br