White-browed Hermit

About the White-browed Hermit

The white-browed hermit (Phaethornis stuarti) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in the Andean foothills and adjacent lowlands in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

The white-browed hermit has been suggested to be conspecific with the reddish hermit (P. ruber) "but they are clearly separate species". The white-browed hermit is monotypic. The white-browed hermit is 10 cm (4 in) long and weighs 2.5 g (0.09 oz). Sexes are similar, but males have a narrow black breast band and females have longer central tail feathers with paler tips. The facial pattern includes a distinct whitish supercilium and white throat. The bill is black above and yellow below.

The species is difficult to distinguish from the very similar Reddish Hermit (Phaethornis ruber) which generally occurs at lower elevations, and identification criteria between the two species is still not well known. White-browed Hermit may be slightly paler with more bronze coloration in the tail.

The white-browed hermit's range extends along the base of the Andes from central... Wikipedia →