Heliactin bilophus
The Horned Sungem (Heliactin bilophus) is a captivating and easily recognizable hummingbird, measuring approximately 10-11 cm in length, including its elongated central tail feathers, and weighing a mere 3-4 grams. Males are particularly striking, boasting a metallic green body, a vibrant coppery-red throat, and a stark black stripe contrasting against white underparts. Their most distinctive feature, which gives the species its name, is a pair of long, wire-like plumes, iridescent orange-red...
This species primarily inhabits open, semi-arid environments such as savanna (Cerrado), scrubland, and dry deciduous forest edges, often found near gallery forests or water sources. It generally occurs at low to moderate elevations, typically below 1000 meters.
Its diet consists predominantly of nectar extracted from a diverse range of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders caught in mid-air or gleaned from vegetation.
The Horned Sungem is a largely solitary, diurnal hummingbird. Males are highly territorial, aggressively defending prime feeding areas and displaying their magnificent 'horns' during courtship rituals to attract females. Foraging involves typical hummingbird hovering to sip nectar from a variety ...
The Horned Sungem is endemic to central and eastern South America, primarily within Brazil. Its distribution extends from the states of Maranhão and Ceará in the north, south through Goiás, Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Mato Grosso, reaching as far south as São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. The specie...
Least Concern
- The male Horned Sungem's 'horns' are not actual bone but elongated iridescent feathers, capable of being erected during display. - Despite their small size, they are remarkably agile flyers, able to hover and maneuver with precision while feeding. - The species name 'bilophus' literally means '...