| Grey-chinned hermit | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Phaethornis |
| Species: | P. griseogularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Phaethornis griseogularis Gould, 1851 | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Thegrey-chinned hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis) is a species ofhummingbird in the familyTrochilidae. It is found inBrazil,Colombia,Ecuador,Peru, andVenezuela.[4]
The South American Classification Committee (SACC) of theAmerican Ornithological Society, theInternational Ornithological Committee (IOC), and theClements taxonomy assign three subspecies to the grey-chinned hermit, the nominateP. g. griseogularis,P. g. zonura, andP. g. porcullae.BirdLife International'sHandbook of the Birds of the World elevates the last to species status, the "porculla hermit" (P. porcullae).[5][4][6][7]
The nominateP. g. griseogularis andP. g. zonura subspecies of grey-chinned hermit are 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) long; males weigh 1.8 to 2.5 g (0.06 to 0.09 oz) and females 1.9 to 3 g (0.07 to 0.11 oz).P. g. porcullae is about 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long and weighs about 2.5 g (0.09 oz). It also has longer wings than the other two subspecies. All three subspecies have generally greenish upperparts, a cinnamon red rump, and dark tail feathers with white tips. Males have a grayish throat and cinnamon red underparts, often with a black band across the chest. MaleP. g. zonura is paler than the nominate, with more grayish underparts and a more decurved bill.P. g. porcullae is even paler than the other two subspecies and has more white in the tail. Females of all three subspecies are paler versions of the males.[8]
P. g. griseogularis is found in the easternAndes from Colombia south through eastern Ecuador into northern Peru as far asSan Martín department, and also in south and southeastern Venezuela and on several isolated mountains in adjacent northern Brazil. There are a few records in the western Andes of Colombia.P. g. zonura is found in the valley of theMarañón River of northern Peru, in easternCajamarca and adjacentAmazonas departments.P. g. porcullae is found from the western Andes of southwestern Ecuador's province ofLoja into northern Peru's departments ofTumbes,Piura, andLambayeque.[4][8][9]
The subspecies of grey-chinned hermit have somewhat different habitat preferences, but the common feature is dense growth, whether ofcloudforest understory,secondary forest, or forest edges.P. g. griseogularis addsgallery forest. It usually occurs between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft) of elevation but is found below 400 m (1,300 ft) in eastern Colombia, as high as 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in Peru, and as low as 300 m (980 ft) in Venezuela.P. g. zonura prefers drier woodland. It too usually occurs between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft).P. g. porcullae inhabits humid woodland and moist areas within otherwise seasonally dry forest. In elevation it ranges from 400 to 1,600 m (1,300 to 5,200 ft) in Peru and from 900 to 2,000 m (3,000 to 6,600 ft) in Ecuador.[8]
All subspecies of grey-chinned hermit are presumed to be sedentary.[8]
The grey-chinned hermit subspeciesP. g. griseogularis andP. g. zonura are known to be "trap-line" feeders like other hermit hummingbirds, visiting a circuit of flowering plants for nectar. They also consume smallarthropods.P. g. porcullae is assumed to have a similar feeding strategy and diet.[8]
The grey-chinned hermit is known to congregate atleks, at least during part of the year. The subspecies' breeding seasons are not well defined, but that ofP. g. griseogularis includes October, that ofP. g. zonura includes March, and that ofP. g. porcullae appears to span at least from January to June. The only described nest is ofP. g. porcullae; it was a cup made of moss, seed down, and other plant material suspended from the underside of a long drooping leaf. It contained two eggs, both of which hatched. The other two subspecies' nests are assumed to be similar.[8][9][10]
| Songs and calls |
The songs ofP. g. griseogularis andP. g. zonura are "high-pitched series of notes repeated incessantly without pauses between phrases...several, evenly-spaced, slightly rising, single notes followed by a more complex warble, e.g. 'tsi ... tsee ... tseeé ... tseotsetsee'." Their call is "an explosive 'tseek!' that is mostly given in flight.[8] The song ofP. g. porcullae has a similar structure than that of the other subspecies, but its "notes [are] purer and higher-pitched".[8] In addition to vocalizations, the species also has an audible wing whir or buzz.[8][10]
TheIUCN follows HBW taxonomy and so treats the "grey-chinned" and "porculla" hermits separately. The organization assesses both as being of Least Concern, though the population size of neither is known and both are believed to be decreasing.[1][2] The nominate subspecies is believed to be reasonably common, but the relatively small range ofP. g. zonura "could be cause for future concern".P. g. porcullae is also described as "fairly common" but it too has a rather limited range. It is found in several protected areas.[8]
