The upper side of the tail is purplish black while the underside has progressively more buff at the ends to the outer pair of feathers.

[4] The saw-billed hermit is found in a narrow band of southeastern Brazil from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south to eastern Santa Catarina and northernmost Rio Grande do Sul.

[4] The saw-billed hermit feeds on the nectar of a wide range of native and introduced flowering plants; most share the characteristic of tubular blossoms.

[4] The saw-billed hermit's breeding season has not been fully defined but appears to include July to September.

It builds its cone-shaped cup nest from plant material and cobwebs under the tip of a long drooping leaf.