Habitat
Subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forest, subtropical and tropical swamp forest, subtropical and tropical moist shrubland. From sea-level - 1,600 m.
Straight-billed Hermit (Phaethornis bourcieri) [XC238799]
by John V. Moore from Orellana: 'Maxus' road km 37 (27 km SSE Pompeya), Ecuador (call, calls)
Straight-billed Hermit (Phaethornis bourcieri) [XC421082]
by GABRIEL LEITE from Finca San Carlos, Vereda Peneya, Puerto As\u00eds, Putumayo, Colombia (song)
Subspecies
In past, sometimes placed in genus Ametrornis. Morphological characters argue against close relationship to other hermits with straight bills, Needle-billed Hermit (Phaethornis philippii) and Koepcke's Hermit (Phaethornis koepckeae). Many authors have accepted additional subspecies whitelyi for northern birds, but claimed characters correspond to individual variation, both types of coloration occurring throughout range of nominate subspecies.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
bourcieri (Lesson, 1832) - Eastern Colombia and northern Peru to southern Venezuela, Guianas and Brazil north of Amazon.
major Hinkelmann, 1989 - Brazil south of Amazon along eastern bank of lower R Tapajós.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet