Little Hermit (Phaethornis longuemareus) male on lek (A Lek is a place where males of a species gather to display their wares to the available females in the area) in Manuel Antonio (Costa Rica), 6/15/98. These birds, when on lek, are almost impossible to see. They sit very near the ground in dense understory. I sometimes had to sit for 15 minutes, knowing I was only 3 meters away from them, before I saw one.
Long-tailed Hermits (Phaethornis superciliosus) lek (A Lek is a place where males of a species gather to display their wares to the available females in the area.), as do Little Hermits. This sample is a male on lek in Carara Biological Preserve. The lek was approximately 30x100 meters and held 8-10 males.
