Scale-throated Hermit

Scale-throated Hermit

Phaethornis eurynome

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Itatiaia National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

798 Verified sightings at Itatiaia National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,835 In all 5 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scale-throated Hermit

The scale-throated hermit (Phaethornis eurynome) is a species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Though the scale-throated hermit is a member of the large genus Phaethornis it seems to have no close relatives. The supposed "black-billed hermit", described as P. nigrirostris, was proven to be a mutant P. eurynome with an all-black bill.

The scale-throated hermit is about 14 to 14.5 cm (5.5 to 5.7 in) long. Males weigh 4.5 to 6 g (0.16 to 0.21 oz) and females 4 to 5 g (0.14 to 0.18 oz). This medium-sized hermit is olive green above with grayish underparts. Its dark throat whose feathers have lighter edges give the eponymous scaly appearance. The face has a black "mask" with a pale supercilium and gular stripe. Its tail feathers have white tips and the middle pair are longer than the others. The sexes are similar but the female has shorter wings and a less strongly decurved bill. The two subspecies have identical plumage but... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:11

Argentina · 2026

© Faustino Hollmann · XC1176799 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:32

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1150898 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:54

Brazil · 2022

© GABRIEL LEITE · XC752760 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
2 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
3 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
4 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
2 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
3 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scale-throated Hermit in Itatiaia National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Scale-throated Hermit sighting in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, based on 798 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 352 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Scale-throated Hermit in Itatiaia National Park?

September to November

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Scale-throated Hermit in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January and February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Scale-throated Hermit?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scale-throated Hermit sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Itatiaia National Park the best place to see a Scale-throated Hermit?

Yes

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Scale-throated Hermit sightings, Itatiaia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 20%) and Iguazú National Park (Argentina, about 10%).

Where does the Scale-throated Hermit sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scale-throated Hermit is recorded against all the birds logged in Itatiaia National Park (798 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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