Saw-billed Hermit
Encyclopedia
The Saw-billed Hermit is a hummingbird
from southeastern Brazil
, the only member of the genus Ramphodon. It is around 14–16 cm long and is one of the heaviest of the hermits
; its straight bill
has a hooked tip. It lives in humid forest
s, where it aggressively defends feeding routes ("trap-lines") from individuals of its own species as well as other hummingbirds. It is currently considered near-threatened, since it has a restricted range
in threatened Atlantic forests.
The Saw-billed Hermit is placed in the hermit
subfamily Phaethornithinae, but among these birds, it is the species most similar to the typical humingbirds, Trochilinae (Hinkelmann, 1999). This, coupled with the considerable number of autapomorphies such as the unusual bill, suggest it is the most primitive species of the hermit lineage; a situation paralleled by the equally unusual Tooth-billed Hummingbird
in the Trochilinae.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
from southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the only member of the genus Ramphodon. It is around 14–16 cm long and is one of the heaviest of the hermits
Hermit (hummingbird)
The hermits are tropical and subtropical hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera. They occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina....
; its straight bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
has a hooked tip. It lives in humid forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, where it aggressively defends feeding routes ("trap-lines") from individuals of its own species as well as other hummingbirds. It is currently considered near-threatened, since it has a restricted range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
in threatened Atlantic forests.
The Saw-billed Hermit is placed in the hermit
Hermit (hummingbird)
The hermits are tropical and subtropical hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera. They occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina....
subfamily Phaethornithinae, but among these birds, it is the species most similar to the typical humingbirds, Trochilinae (Hinkelmann, 1999). This, coupled with the considerable number of autapomorphies such as the unusual bill, suggest it is the most primitive species of the hermit lineage; a situation paralleled by the equally unusual Tooth-billed Hummingbird
Tooth-billed Hummingbird
The Tooth-billed Hummingbird is a species of bird from the family Trochilidae. It is monotypic within the genus Androdon. It is found in humid forests in western Colombia, north-western Ecuador , and far eastern Panama...
in the Trochilinae.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Saw-billed Hermit photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res-(Close-up)
- Saw-billed Hermit videos on the Internet Bird Collection