Green Hermit

The Green Hermit is a large hummingbird typical of the shady understory of humid forest, showing duller, more muted coloring than many of its flashier relatives: greenish upperparts and buffy-cinnamon underparts, without strongly iridescent patches. Its most distinctive features are a long, decurved bill suited to probing deep tubular flowers, and elongated central tail feathers tipped in white that extend well beyond the rest of the tail.

Like other hermits, it is a traplining forager, following a regular circuit of scattered flowering plants through the forest understory rather than defending a fixed territory, and it is often seen investigating patches of heliconia and other tubular flowers along shaded forest trails.

Key field marks

• Greenish, relatively dull upperparts (lacking bright iridescence typical of many hummingbirds)
• Buffy to cinnamon underparts
• Long, strongly decurved bill
• Elongated central tail feathers with white tips, extending beyond the rest of the tail
• Pale buffy stripe behind the eye

Similar species

• Long-billed Hermit is similar in shape but has a longer bill and different tail proportions, with some range overlap.
• Little Hermit and other smaller hermits lack the Green Hermit's larger size and longer tail streamers.

Habitat

Inhabits the shaded understory of humid lowland and foothill forest, as well as forest edge and adjacent secondary growth.

Range

Found from Central America (Costa Rica, Panama) through the Andes and into parts of the Amazon basin and the Guianas.

Migration

Generally resident, with some local movement tied to flowering patterns.

Behavior

A classic "traplining" hummingbird, following a regular route among widely scattered flowering plants rather than defending a single territory; often forages low in the understory.

Voice

A thin, repeated, squeaky "seep" or chattering note, given persistently, especially near display (lek) sites.

Feeding

Feeds mainly on nectar from tubular understory flowers such as heliconias, and catches small insects in flight to supplement its diet.

Nesting

Builds a cone-shaped nest of plant fibers suspended from the underside of a large leaf, often a palm or heliconia leaf; the female incubates and raises the young alone.