The Long-tailed Hermit can be found in southern Venezuela, the Guianas and northern Brazil. Very similar in appearance to the Long-billed Hermit (P. longirostris) and the Great-billed Hermit (P. malaris), these medium sized hermit hummingbirds can be identified by the light ochracous bands on the longest feathers of the uppertail-coverts and their distinct gular stripe. Like most members of the subfamily Phaethornithinae the Long-tailed Hermit is an understory species. These birds can be found in lowland rainforest, forest edge, gallery forest and igapó and várzea forest. The diet of the Long-tailed Hermit consists of nectar and small arthropods. These hummingbirds are common throughout their range.