Tawny-bellied hermit
The tawny-bellied hermit is a species of hummingbird. It is found in the mountains of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru usually in humid forest understory and undergrowth. This is where it spends its time foraging for arthropods and nectar via traplining like the diet of most if not all hummingbirds. It thrives in elevations above 1000m, where at lower levels it is gradually replaced by the White-Whiskered Hermit.
When searching for a mate, males will form leks all together making 'squeaky tseep' sounds. Males can be differentiated from females by their bright orange underside, with females being more pale.
Although currently marked as least concern, gradual logging may pose a large threat to the species further down the line.Subspecies
- P. s. syrmatophorus Gould, 1852 – Western Tawny-bellied Hermit – W Andes of Colombia locally to SW Ecuador.
- P. s. columbianus Boucard, 1891 – Eastern Tawny-bellied Hermit – C & E Andes of Colombia S on E slope in Ecuador to N Peru.
