Green-crowned plovercrest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green-crowned plovercrest |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| In São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Stephanoxis |
| Species: |
S. lalandi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stephanoxis lalandi (Vieillot, 1818)
|
|
 |
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Plovercrest |
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The green-crowned plovercrest is a tiny, colorful hummingbird. It's also called the black-breasted plovercrest or just plovercrest. Its scientific name is Stephanoxis lalandi. This special bird lives only in Brazil.
Contents
About This Bird's Family
Scientists group living things into families. This helps us understand them better. The green-crowned plovercrest and the purple-crowned plovercrest are very similar. For a while, scientists thought they were the same species. But in 2014, new research showed they are actually two different species. Now, they are both recognized as unique. These two birds are the only ones in their special group, called the Stephanoxis genus.
What Does It Look Like?
The green-crowned plovercrest is a small bird. It is about 8.5 to 9 centimeters (3.3 to 3.5 inches) long. Males are a bit heavier, weighing about 3 to 3.4 grams. Females weigh around 2.2 grams.
Both male and female birds have a short, straight, black beak.
- Males have a cool, shaggy crest on their head. This crest is mostly shiny green. The longest feather on it is purplish black. Their face is gray with a white spot behind each eye. Their back and wings are a shiny bronze-green. Their chest and upper belly are a pretty violet-blue. The rest of their belly is gray. Their middle tail feathers are green. The other tail feathers are green with a dark band and grayish-white tips.
- Females and young birds have a smaller crest. Their upper parts are shiny green. Their underparts, or belly area, are gray.
Where Does It Live?
The green-crowned plovercrest lives in eastern Brazil. You can find it in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
This hummingbird likes to live in the lower parts of forests. It also lives in scrublands and near rivers or streams. It usually lives from sea level up to about 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) high. Sometimes, it can be found as high as 2,900 meters (9,500 feet).
How Does It Behave?
Movement
The green-crowned plovercrest usually stays in one area. It does not travel far. However, it might move a little bit during different seasons.
Feeding
This bird eats nectar from flowers. It finds nectar from the ground all the way up to the tops of trees. It drinks from both native flowers and those brought in by people. During the breeding season, male birds protect their favorite feeding spots. Besides nectar, they also eat insects. They catch insects while flying or pick them off leaves.
Reproduction
The green-crowned plovercrest's breeding season is from October to March. Male birds often gather in special areas called leks. Here, they perform displays to attract females. Sometimes, single males will also display alone.
Female birds build a cup-shaped nest. They use soft plant fibers and seeds. They hold the nest together with spiderwebs. The nest is usually placed on a forked branch. It is often about 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) above the ground. Females lay two eggs. They sit on the eggs for 14 to 16 days. The young birds leave the nest about 24 to 28 days after hatching.
Vocalization
The male green-crowned plovercrest has a special song. It is a long series of repeated notes that sound like "tsi-ling...tsi-ling...tsi-ling...". The song usually starts with a high-pitched "tsee."
What Is Its Status?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the green-crowned plovercrest as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. We don't know exactly how many of these birds there are. We also don't know if their numbers are going up or down.
No immediate threats have been found for this bird. It is found in different places, but it is common in some areas. It lives in three national parks. It can also live in places changed by humans, like farmland, as long as there are still some patches of bushes or forest.
 | John T. Biggers |
 | Thomas Blackshear |
 | Mark Bradford |
 | Beverly Buchanan |
