Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris) [XC608922]
by Brice de la Croix from ExploNapo, Peru (song)
Great-billed Hermit (Phaethornis malaris) [XC42701]
by Andrew Spencer from Angoul\u00e8me, Mana, French Guiana (song)
Subspecies
Often considered monotypic, but most subspecies hitherto regarded as belonging to Long-tailed Hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus) apparently have closer affinities with present species. Subspecies ochraceiventris may prove to merit treatment as a separate species, but this would probably not include all southern Amazonian taxa of this species-group (including subspecies muelleri of Long-tailed Hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus)), as has been suggested. Subspecies margarettae has been considered a full species. Subspecies moorei and bolivianus intergrade in eastern Andes of Peru, and offspring of these described as "ucayalii". Birds occurring between lower reaches of R Madeira and R Tapajos were separated as insignis, but indistinguishable from bolivianus.
Proposed subspecies camargoi inseparable from margarettae.
malaris (Nordmann, 1835) - Surinam and French Guiana to central-northern Brazil (Amapá).
margarettae Ruschi, 1972 - Coastal eastern Brazil (Pernambuco to Espírito Santo). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Margaretta's Hermit (Phaethornis margarettae).