Saw-billed Hermit

Overview

The saw-billed hermit (Ramphodon naevius) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae that is endemic to Brazil. It is the only member of its genus and shows the closest resemblance to typical hummingbirds among the hermit subfamily.

Identification

• Length of 14 to 16 cm with a weight between 5.3 and 9 g, making it one of the three heaviest hermits.
• Distinctive saw-like serrations on the mandible, with the male’s bill additionally featuring a hooked tip.
• Scaly brown upperparts contrasted with dark and pale striped underparts, a reddish ochre throat, and a white supercilium.
• Song consists of a very high, chattering twitter, while calls include rapid 'bic' notes and descending 'seee' notes.

Habitat

This bird inhabits the understory of the humid coastal Atlantic Forest up to an elevation of 500 m. Its range covers a narrow band of southeastern Brazil, stretching from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo down to eastern Santa Catarina and northernmost Rio Grande do Sul.

Diet

It feeds on the nectar of native and introduced flowering plants with tubular blossoms, often within 6 m of the ground, as well as on small arthropods gleaned from vegetation. It practises trap-line foraging and uniquely defends its route against other hummingbirds through aggressive behaviour.

Did you know?

Its species name is a reference to the teeth-like serrations on its beak, which it shares with the unrelated tooth-billed hummingbird (Androdon aequatorialis), as it is the only other known hummingbird with a serrated bill.