Bearded helmetcrest explained

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.

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 11.4cm (04.5inches) in length, it is a small hummingbird with a very small 8mm 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 3600to in Venezuela,[9] and 3200to 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]

Notes and References

  1. Gould . John . John Gould . 1848 . Drafts for a new arrangement of the Trochilidae . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . Part 16 . 180 . 11–14 [14] .
  2. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1855 . Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum . London . British Museum . 22 .
  3. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1945 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 5 . Harvard University Press . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 122 .
  4. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 287 .
  5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2020 . Hummingbirds . IOC World Bird List Version 10.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 2 January 2020 .
  6. Collar . Nigel J. . Salaman . Paul . 2013 . The taxonomic and conservation status of the Oxypogon helmetcrests . Conservación Colombiana . 19 . 31–38 .
  7. McGuire, Jimmy A. . Witt Christopher C. . Remsen, J. V. Jr . Dudley R. . Altshuler, Douglas L. . 2008. 150. 155–65. A higher-level taxonomy for hummingbird. Journal of Ornithology. 10.1007/s10336-008-0330-x. 1918245 .
  8. Book: Steven L. Hilty . Bill Brown . A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press. 1986. 0-691-08372-X. 12 June 2011. 295.
  9. Book: Steven L. Hilty . Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee . Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press. 2003. 0-691-09250-8. 12 June 2011. 432.