needle-billed hermit
{{short description|Species of hummingbird}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2021}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Phaethornis philippii Needle-billed Hermit; Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}
| genus = Phaethornis
| species = philippii
| authority = (Bourcier, 1847)
| synonyms =
|range_map =Phaethornis philippii map.svg
}}
The needle-billed hermit (Phaethornis philippii) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/ |title=IOC World Bird List (v 11.2) |last1=Gill |first1= F. |last2=Donsker|first2=D.|last3=Rasmussen |first3=P. |date=July 2021 |access-date=July 14, 2021 }}Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved August 24, 2021
Taxonomy and systematics
The needle-billed hermit is monotypic. It and the straight-billed hermit (P. bourcieri) were at one time placed in genus Ametrornis that was later merged into Phaethornis. The needle-billed hermit and Koepcke's hermit are sister species and may form a superspecies.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved August 24, 2021
Description
The needle-billed hermit is {{convert|12|to|13|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. Males weigh {{convert|4|to|6|g|oz|2|abbr=on}} and females {{convert|4|to|5.5|g|oz|2|abbr=on}}. It is one of the few hermit hummingbirds with a nearly straight bill. Its upperparts are dark bronzy green with a dull rufous rump. The tail is mostly dark green. The innermost pair of tail feathers are longer than the others and have long white tips; the others have broad buffy rufous tips. The face has a black "mask" bordered with narrow pale streaks. The underparts are orange.Hinkelmann, C., G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Needle-billed Hermit (Phaethornis philippii), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.nebher1.01 retrieved December 8, 2021
Distribution and habitat
The needle-billed hermit is found in eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil south of the Amazon River as far east as the Tapajós River. It inhabits the understory of lowland rainforest. It is mostly found in terra firme forest but also occurs in várzea forest, bamboo thickets, and plantations. In elevation it ranges only as high as {{convert|325|m|ft|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}.
Behavior
=Feeding=
=Breeding=
=Vocalization=
Status
The IUCN has assessed the needle-billed hermit as being of Least Concern, though its population size and trend are not known. It is generally thought to be locally common and occurs in some protected areas.