Class Aves Family Trochilidae | Phylum Chordata Genus Phaethornis Rank Species | |
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Similar Streak‑throated hermit, Cinnamon‑throated hermit, Needle‑billed hermit, White‑browed hermit, Sooty barbthroat | ||
The Tapajós hermit (Phaethornis aethopygus) is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in the south-eastern Amazon in Brazil, and its common name refers to the Tapajós River, which forms the western border of its distribution. This small hermit has rufous underparts, rump and tail-tips, white to the base of the tail, and a dark throat. Females are paler and longer-tailed than males.
The Tapajós hermit was first described in 1950 as a subspecies of the little hermit. At that time many small hermits now treated as separate species were considered subspecies of the little hermit, and the Tapajós hermit was believed to be most closely related to the black-throated hermit. In 1996 it was suggested that the Tapajós hermit was entirely invalid, and actually represented hybrids between the reddish and streak-throated hermits. In 2009 this hypothesis was shown to be incorrect, and the Tapajós hermit was instated as a valid species.