About Phaethornis yaruqui (Bourcier, 1851)
Size and Weight
The white-whiskered hermit, scientifically named Phaethornis yaruqui (Bourcier, 1851), reaches approximately 13 cm (5.1 in) in total length. Males weigh between 4 and 7 g (0.14 to 0.25 oz), while females weigh 4 to 6.5 g (0.14 to 0.23 oz).
Plumage Features
As a medium-sized hermit hummingbird, it has a bronzy crown and iridescent bluish green upperparts. Its underparts range in color from green to dark gray.
Facial Markings
The face features a black "mask", paired with a buffy supercilium and a white gular stripe.
Sexual Dimorphism
Males have an almost straight bill. Females differ from males: they have a shorter, gently decurved bill, shorter wings, more grayish underparts, and a longer tail.
Geographic Range
The white-whiskered hermit's distribution ranges from Colombia's northern Chocó Department, south through western Ecuador to El Oro Province. It has also been recorded in Panama near the Colombian border.
Habitat Preferences
This species inhabits humid mid-elevation and montane forest, humid secondary forest, dense shrublands, and plantations. It typically occurs at elevations below 1,200 m (3,900 ft), though it has been documented as high as 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
