Hook-Billed Hermit

A sizable group of hummingbirds known as hermits includes 30 to 40 different species and can be found from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. One of the rarest is the Hook-billed Hermit. The species is listed as Endangered by IUCN because there may only be 200 to 300 left in the severely damaged Atlantic Forest. Its underparts are cinnamon, and its upperparts are a greenish bronze color. The face is dark with a white supercilium and "moustache". The tail's outer feathers have white tips and are shiny copper in color. Bill is almost straight. The underparts of the female are a little bit paler than those of the male, but otherwise, the sexes have similar plumage.

The Hook-billed prefers moist woodland interiors near bodies of water, especially streams that are surrounded by the vividly colored blooms of Heliconia plants, which is crucial in pollination. Roads and human development have dispersed the forest and produced fragmentation, which has resulted in dangerous population decreases for the Hook-billed Hermit.