The grey-chinned hermit (Phaethornis griseogularis) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is native to the tepuis and northern Andes.
Taxonomy and systematics
The South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy assign three subspecies to the grey-chinned hermit, the nominate P. g. griseogularis, P. g. zonura, and P. g. porcullae. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World elevates the last to species status, the "porculla hermit" (P. porcullae).
Description
The nominate P. g. griseogularis and P. g. zonura subspecies of grey-chinned hermit are 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) long; males weigh 1.8 to 2.5 g (0.06 to 0.09 oz) and females 1.9 to 3 g (0.07 to 0.11 oz). P. g. porcullae is about 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long and weighs about 2.5 g (0.09 oz). It also has longer wings than the other two subspecies. All three subspecies have generally greenish upperparts, a cinnamon red rump, and dark tail feathers with white tips. Males have a grayish throat and cinnamon red underparts, often with a black band across the chest. Male P. g. zonura is paler than the nominate, with more grayish underparts and a more decurved bill. P. g. porcullae is even paler than the other two subspecies and has more white in the tail. Females of all three subspecies are paler versions of the males.
Distribution and habitat
P. g. griseogularis is found in the eastern Andes from Colombia south through eastern Ecuador into northern Peru as far as San Martín department, and also in south and southeastern Venezuela and on several isolated mountains in adjacent northern Brazil. There are a few records in the western Andes of Colombia. P. g. zonura is found in the valley of the Marañón River of northern Peru, in eastern Cajamarca and adjacent Amazonas departments. P. g. porcullae is found from the western Andes of southwestern Ecuador's province of Loja...