| Bearded Helmetcrest | |
|---|---|
| Oxypogon guerinii lindenii | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Oxypogon Gould, 1848 |
| Species: | O. guerinii |
| Binomial name | |
| Oxypogon guerinii Boissonneau, 1840 |
|
The Bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, known as páramo.
First described by French ornithologist Auguste Boissonneau in 1840, it is the only member of the genus Oxypogon. However, 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.[1]
Measuring 114 mm (4.5 in) in length, it is a small hummingbird with a very small 8 mm (0.3 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.[2][3]
The Bearded Helmetcrest is found in the Andes, ranging from altitudes of 3600 to 4500 m (12000–15000 ft) in Venezuela,[3] and 3200 to 5200 m (10500 to 17000 ft) in Colombia.[2] Its main habitat is the páramo, but can descend to the treeline outside of breeding season.[3]
The Bearded Helmetcrest often perches on boulders and flits between low-flowering shrubs, visiting the flowers of the genera Espeletia, Echeveria, Siphocampylus, Castilleja and Draba.[3]
The species breeds during the rainy season, and nests in in the daisy Espeletia or builds a nest of material from the daisy in a cliff or bank.[3]