Photo: Adaptivity77 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-bearded Helmetcrest
Oxypogon guerinii
Green-bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) — Hummingbirds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 4.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Oxypogon
- Species guerinii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.8 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) is a member of the Trochilidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Colombia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 4.8 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 5.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 20,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-bearded Helmetcrest?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is a very small bird that weighs around 4.8 g.
Where does the Green-bearded Helmetcrest live?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is found across South America with a range covering SA e Colombia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Green-bearded Helmetcrest belong to?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Green-bearded Helmetcrest eat?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Green-bearded Helmetcrest migrate?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-bearded Helmetcrest endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Green-bearded Helmetcrest make?
1 real field recording of the Green-bearded Helmetcrest — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-bearded Helmetcrest's range?
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest has a mapped global range of about 20,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.