Koepcke's Hermit

About the Koepcke's Hermit

Koepcke's hermit (Phaethornis koepckeae) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is endemic to Peru. Koepcke's hermit is monotypic. It and the needle-billed hermit (P. philippii) are sister species and may form a superspecies.

Koepcke's hermit is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long. Males weigh 4.7 to 5.8 g (0.17 to 0.20 oz) and females 4.5 to 4.9 g (0.16 to 0.17 oz). It is one of the few hermit hummingbirds with a nearly straight bill. It has a blackish crown glossed with greenish, a glossy greenish bronze nape, a glossy bronze back, and a rufous rump. The tail is mostly dark glossy green. The innermost pair of tail feathers are longer than the others and have white tips; the others have broad buffy rufous tips. The face has a black "mask" bordered with narrow white streaks. The chin and throat are white, the center of the breast pale reddish buff with grayer sides, and the belly and flanks a rich reddish buff.

Koepcke's hermit is found on the eastern foothills of the Peruvian Andes from just south of the Marañón River in Amazonas south to central Madre de Dios. In elevation it ranges between... Wikipedia →