Plovercrest

Stephanoxis lalandi

Photo by Chris Perkins (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
plovercrest (en); beija-flor-de-topete (pt); colibri de Delalande (fr); colibrí copetón (es); spitzhaubenelfe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Brazil, from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul, and also in eastern Paraguay and extreme north-eastern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 8-9 cm long and weigh 2-4 g.

Habitat:
The plovercrest is mostly found in moist scrublands and moist tropical forests, but also use second growths. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m, and occasionally up to 2.900 m.

Diet:
They feed on nectar and small insects.

Breeding:
Plovercrests are polygynous, with males performing in a lek to attract females and having no further part in the breeding process after mating. The nest is built by the female, consisting of a small cup made of plant fibres, moss and lichens, held together with spider webs. The nest is placed at the end of a bamboo shoot or branch of a scrub. The female lays 2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed by the female and fledge 19-22 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon. There is no information on population trends.