Beija-flor-de-topete (Plovercrest)

Description:

It measures approximately 8.5 cm long. The adult male has a green tuft with darker long plume, clear gray belly with a big blue stain. Birds from the south of State of São Paulo to the south have blue tufts. It is green on the back with black and white in the corners of the brown tail. Young males and females are green on the back and light gray on the belly with a white paint behind the eyes; the beak is short and straight.

Habitat:

Inhabits alpine pastures with cold climate, reaching the maximum altitude of the area where it operates (eg 2900 meters in the fields of Serra do Caparaó and Itatiaia park). In Rio Grande do Sul occurs on the plateau. During the winter descends to lower altitudes, reaching the sea level. It is seen in scrub vegetation and riparian forests of alpine pastures or edges of forests in the Southern region; It appears in areas partially cleared, but disappears from areas with intensive agriculture.

Notes:

It feeds on nectar and small insects. Often visit the flowers of fuchsia, wild blackberries, eucalyptus trees and bromeliads.