The hook-billed hermit is a threatened species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is endemic to a small area of Brazil.
Region
Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid lowland Atlantic Forest, especially in mature or well-structured secondary forest with rich understory. Often follows stream corridors, forest edges, and clearings where Heliconia and other tubular flowers are abundant. It may use traditional shade-cacao plantations when native understory flora is present. The species is patchy and local, reflecting severe habitat fragmentation. Human disturbance and deforestation have confined it to a few sites.
Altitude Range
0–600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The hook-billed hermit is a critically endangered hummingbird restricted to remnants of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Its strongly decurved, slightly hooked bill matches the curved corollas of certain understory flowers, making it a specialized trap-line feeder. It can persist in traditional shade-cacao (cabruca) systems when native understory plants are retained. Conservation hinges on protecting lowland forest and restoring native floral resources.
Temperament
solitary and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with precise hovering
Social Behavior
Primarily a solitary trap-line feeder, visiting a circuit of flowers repeatedly. Males may display at small leks, defending tiny display courts and performing aerial buzzes. Nests are typically small cups attached to drooping leaves over water or in sheltered understory sites.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a thin, high, repeated tsee or seep sequence delivered from low perches. Calls include sharp chips and rapid chatter during territorial interactions, with audible wing trills at close range.
Plumage
Bronzy-brown upperparts with olive sheen, dusky to rufescent underparts and a slightly paler throat. Tail is rufous with a darker subterminal band and paler tips. Face shows a bold pale supercilium and darker mask typical of hermits. Feathers appear soft and sleek, aiding silent movement in dense understory.
Diet
Feeds mainly on nectar from tubular flowers such as Heliconia, Costus, and other understory blooms. Supplements nectar with small arthropods—tiny insects and spiders—gleaned from foliage or hawked in short sallies. The strongly curved bill allows efficient access to deep, curved corollas, reducing competition with straighter-billed hummingbirds.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded forest understory, along streams, and at forest edges where nectar plants are dense. Also uses traditional shade-cacao plantations that retain native flowering understory and hedgerows.
