Bearded helmetcrest

The bearded helmetcrests (Oxypogon) are a genus of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. They are found in Colombia and Venezuela. Primary natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, known as páramo. The genus contains four species.

Bearded helmetcrest
White-bearded helmetcrest, Oxypogon lindenii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Tribe: Lesbiini
Genus: Oxypogon
Gould, 1848
Type species
Ornismya guerinii
Species

see text

Taxonomy and species list

The genus Oxypogon was introduced in 1848 by the English ornithologist John Gould.[1] The type species was subsequently designated as the green-bearded helmetcrest.[2][3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek oxus meaning "sharp" or "pointed" with pōgōn meaning "beard".[4]

The genus contains four species:[5]

These four species were formerly all considered as subspecies of what was known as the bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii). The bearded helmetcrest was split into four separate species based on a study of biometric and plumage data published in 2013.[5][6]

A study of mitochondrial DNA of hummingbirds shows it to be most closely related to the bearded mountaineer (Oreonympha nobilis) and the rufous-capped thornbill (Chalcostigma ruficeps). The other member of the genus Chalcostigma lay outside the group, suggesting the genus might need revising in the future.[7]

Description

The most common species, the white-bearded helmetcrest, measures 11.4 cm (4.5 in) in length, it is a small hummingbird with a very small 8 mm (0.31 in) bill. The adult male has a distinctive pointed black crest and a shaggy white beard. The face and cheeks are blackish, rendering a triangular shape with the white fronted crest and white beard. The underparts are a dull green-grey. The female lacks the beard and crest.[8][9]

The species of bearded helmetcrests are found in the Andes, ranging from altitudes of 3,600 to 4,500 m (11,800 to 14,800 ft) in Venezuela,[9] and 3,200 to 5,200 m (10,500 to 17,100 ft) in Colombia.[8] Its main habitat is the páramo, but can descend to the treeline outside of breeding season.[9]

All species often perch on boulders and flit between low-flowering shrubs, visiting the flowers of the genera Espeletia, Echeveria, Siphocampylus, Castilleja and Draba.[9]

All species breed during the rainy season, and nest in the daisy Espeletia or build a nest of material from the daisy in a cliff or bank.[9]

References
  1. Gould, John (1848). "Drafts for a new arrangement of the Trochilidae". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Part 16 (180): 11-14 [14].
  2. Gray, George Robert (1855). Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum. London: British Museum. p. 22.
  3. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-List of Birds of the World. Volume 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 122.
  4. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 287. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  6. Collar, Nigel J.; Salaman, Paul (2013). "The taxonomic and conservation status of the Oxypogon helmetcrests" (PDF). Conservación Colombiana. 19: 31–38.
  7. McGuire, Jimmy A.; Witt Christopher C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr; Dudley R.; Altshuler, Douglas L. (2008). "A higher-level taxonomy for hummingbird" (PDF). Journal of Ornithology. 150: 155–65. doi:10.1007/s10336-008-0330-x.
  8. Steven L. Hilty; Bill Brown (1986). A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press. p. 295. ISBN 0-691-08372-X. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  9. Steven L. Hilty; Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press. p. 432. ISBN 0-691-09250-8. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
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