The needle-billed hermit is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland rainforest of western Brazil, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia. Favors humid terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea forest, especially along shaded streams and in dense understory. Frequently associates with patches of Heliconia, Costus, and other tubular-flowered plants. Also uses second growth, bamboo thickets, and forest edges when flowering resources are abundant.
Altitude Range
100–800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This hermit is a hummingbird of the western Amazon, named for its long, slender, almost needle-like bill adapted to deep tubular flowers. It practices traplining, visiting a repeated circuit of flowering plants rather than defending a single patch. Nests are typically small cones suspended beneath broad leaves over shaded stream banks. Often heard before seen, it gives thin, high-pitched notes from low understory perches.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile hovering
Social Behavior
Typically forages alone along a repeatable trapline of flowers. Males may sing from low, shaded perches and can gather in loose leks to advertise. The small conical nest is suspended from the underside of large leaves, often near water, where the female incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song and calls are thin, high, and slightly buzzy, delivered in rapid, repetitive sequences. Contact notes are sharp tsit or seep given while foraging, carrying well in dense understory.
