About Phaethornis mexicanus Hartert, 1897
The Mexican hermit (Phaethornis mexicanus Hartert, 1897) measures 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 inches) in total length. The nominate subspecies has a dusky crown, with a bronzy green nape and upperparts. Its rump feathers are bronzy green with cinnamon edges, and its tail is black with white feather tips. On the face, it has black cheeks, plus pale cinnamon stripes behind the eye and below the cheek. The throat is mostly pale buff, and the rest of the underparts are dusky brownish gray, with a cinnamon wash across the belly. The subspecies P. m. griseoventer is slightly paler across its entire body. It has a dull greenish crown, a throat stripe ranging from whitish to pale buff, and more white on its central tail feathers. The Mexican hermit occupies two separate ranges along Mexico's Pacific coast. The nominate subspecies P. m. mexicanus is found in the southwestern portion of the range, from western Guerrero south to southeastern Oaxaca. P. m. griseoventer occurs further north, between the states of Nayarit and Colima. This species lives in the interior and along the edges of humid evergreen forest, Heliconia thickets, and ravines within semi-deciduous woodlands. Its elevation range extends from sea level up to approximately 2,000 m (6,560 ft).
