Horned sungem

Horned sungem
print by Ernst Haeckel
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Heliactin
F. Boie, 1831
Species: H. bilophus
Binomial name
Heliactin bilophus
(Temminck, 1820)
Synonyms
  • Heliactin bilopha (lapsus)
  • Heliactin bilophum (lapsus)
  • Heliactin cornutus
    (Wied-Neuwied, 1821)

The horned sungem (Heliactin bilophus) is a South American hummingbird, the only species, (monotypic), of the genus Heliactin. The scientific name bilophus is sometimes considered a nomen oblitum, which, if accepted, results in Heliactin cornutus being the correct name for this species. A wingbeat is one complete up-and-down movement, which means that the horned sungem moves its wing muscles at a rate of more than 10,000 times per minute. It occurs in Bolivia, Brazil, and Suriname. It prefers fairly dry open or semi-open habitats, such as savanna and Cerrado. It avoids dense humid forest.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Heliactin bilophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

External links