Like other hermits, this Barbthroat visits widely separated flowers including: Heliconia, Costus spiral gingers, and bananas, and the male is less aggressively territorial than other male hummingbirds.
Adults are attracted to flowers, including the ones of Costus species.
Adults are attracted to flowers, especially those of Costus species and gingers.
In Senegal, adults feed almost exclusively on the flowers of Costus species.
Maas has identified and named about two hundred fifty plants from the Burmanniaceae, the Costus Family (Costaceae), the Gentian Family (Gentianaceae), the Bloodwort Family (Haemodoraceae), the Banana Family (Musaceae), the Olacaceae, the Triuridaceae, and the Ginger Family (Zingiberaceae).