Green-crowned Plovercrest

Brazil

Jul 17

Green-crowned Plovercrest (Stephanoxis lalandi)

Name Origin:
The genus Stephanoxis derives from Greek stephanos meaning “crown” and oxys meaning “sharp,” referring to the bird’s pointed, ornamental crest. The species epithet lalandi honors Pierre Antoine Delalande, a French naturalist and explorer who collected extensively in Brazil in the early 19th century.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 10–11.5 cm (3.9–4.5 in)
⚖️ Weight: 4.0–5.0 g (0.14–0.18 oz)
🌎 Range: Southeastern Brazil (Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul)
🧭 Elevation: 500–2,000 m (1,600–6,600 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Montane Atlantic Forest and forest edge
🧬 Clade: Lesbiini “Coquettes and Plovercrests”
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic species with no recognized subspecies.

Distribution: Found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south through São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. Inhabits humid montane forest, secondary growth, and forest edge, typically between 500 and 2,000 meters elevation.

Species Overview

The Green-crowned Plovercrest is a vibrant and elegant hummingbird, named for the male’s tall, iridescent green crest that flares forward during display. This forest-dwelling species is a resident of southeastern Brazil’s montane Atlantic Forest and is a highlight of local avifauna due to its beauty and unique behavior.

Male Description:
The male has shimmering green upperparts, a long, narrow green crest, and violet-blue gorget. The underparts are grayish-white, and the tail is bronze-green with a faint blue gloss. The crest is highly variable in brightness, often used in display flights.

Female Description:
The female lacks the crest and gorget, with green upperparts and grayish-white underparts. The tail is bronzy-green with whitish tips on the outer feathers.

Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits humid montane and submontane forests, forest edges, and shaded clearings, often near flowering shrubs. Males perform aerial courtship displays, hovering with raised crests and producing a dry, buzzing song. Feeds primarily on nectar from Besleria, Fuchsia, Justicia, and Heliotropium, and supplements its diet with small insects caught in flight.

Conservation Note:
The Green-crowned Plovercrest is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains locally common in protected and semi-disturbed Atlantic Forest habitats. Populations persist in numerous reserves, including Serra da Mantiqueira, Itatiaia National Park, and Serra do Mar State Park. Major threats include habitat fragmentation and deforestation, but the species shows tolerance to moderate disturbance and can thrive in well-vegetated gardens and secondary forest.