Ornamental elf

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Ornamental elf
Ornamental elf (Lophornis delattrei); (old name Telamon regulus)

Ornamental elf ( Lophornis delattrei );
(old name Telamon regulus )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Sailor birds (Apodiformes)
Family : Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Genre : Crested Hummingbirds ( Lophornis )
Type : Ornamental elf
Scientific name
Lophornis delattrei
( Lesson , 1839)

The ornamental elf or redhead elf ( Lophornis delattrei ) is a species of bird from the hummingbird family (Trochilidae). The species has a large range that includes the Central and South American countries Costa Rica , Panama , Colombia , Ecuador , Peru and Bolivia . The IUCN assesses the population as Least Concern .

features

The relatively small ornamental elf is only about 7 centimeters long and weighs about 2.8 grams. The male has a very red crown and a showy crest, which is colored black at the tips. The rest of the top is bronze green. The hummingbird has a white band around its rump . The upper part of the tail feathers are bronze-purple. The color of the control springs is predominantly red-brown. There are bronze edges on the ends of the tail feathers. The neck glitters green and is crossed by white feathers. The rest of the lower part is dark bronze green and has reddish speckles. The under tail cover is cinnamon brown. The coral red thin beak 10 millimeters has dark points. The female face and crown are cinnamon red. It has no crest. Dark brown speckles adorn the light red to yellowish brown neck area. The lower part is slightly darker than that of the male. There is a thin black stripe just before the end of the tail.

Habitat

Spread of the ornamental elf

This hummingbird can be found at altitudes between 500 and 1400 meters, but has also been observed at 1900 meters. Preferred plants are flowering trees, including species of the genus Inga or to the Rubiaceae belonging Chimarrhis . Sometimes you can also see him on flowers and bushes. Mostly it moves on the edges of the forest and clearings.

behavior

This hummingbird is a loner. Like most hummingbirds, you can often see him picking insects out of plants or just looking for nectar. Its pendulous flight resembles that of a bee . Due to its small size, it is very difficult to spot. Therefore there is hardly any reliable data on the behavior of the bird.

Subspecies

At the moment two subspecies of the ornamental elf are known.

  • Lophornis delattrei delattrei ( Lesson , 1839).
  • Lophornis delattrei lessoni Simon , 1921

The subspecies lessoni is found on the mountain slopes in the southwest of Costa Rica and Panama as well as the east and central Andes of Colombia. Here they are in the departments of Magdalena and Santander . The subspecies delattrei occurs in Ecuador in the Andes of the Napo province . in Peru to the south of Marañón and in the north of Bolivia in the Beni and Santa Cruz departments .

Etymology and history of research

René Primevère Lesson described the ornamental elf under the name Ornismya (Lophorinus) De Lattrei . He did not mention where the type specimen came from. Only later was it added to the genus Lophornis . This name is derived from the Greek words "lophos λοφος " for "mane, forehead " and "ornis ορνις " for "bird". “Delattrei” is dedicated to Adolphe Delattre (1805–1854), the man who collected the type specimen and who helped write the article. Finally, »Lessoni« is dedicated to René Primevère Lesson.

literature

  • Thomas Schulenberg , Douglas F. Stotz , Daniel F. Lane: Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0691049151 , p. 224.
  • Robert S. Ridgely , Paul J. Greenfield: Birds of Ecuador Field Guide. Volume 2, Cornell University Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0-8014-8721-7 , pp. 255.
  • F. Gary Stiles, Dana Gardner, Alexander F. Skutch: A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica . Comstock Publishing Associates, 1990, p. 216, ISBN 978-0801496004
  • Steve NG Howell, Sophie W. Webb: A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America . Oxford University Press, New York 1995, ISBN 978-0-19-854012-0 .
  • David Burnie, Ben Hoare, Audobon: Bird , 2007, p. 295, ISBN 978-0756631536
  • Steven L. Hilty , William L. Brown: A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, 1986, ISBN 978-0691083728 , p. 262.
  • James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
  • Adolphe Delattre , René Primevère Lesson: Oiseaux-Mouches nouveaux au très rares, decouverts by M. De Lattre dans son voyage en Amérique et décrits . In: Revue Zoologique par La Société Cuvierienne . tape 2 , 1839, p. 13-20 ( online [accessed June 29, 2014]).
  • Eugène Simon: Histoire naturelle des Trochilidae (synopsis et catalog) . L. Mulo, Paris 1921 ( online [accessed June 29, 2014]).

Web links

Commons : Lophornis delattrei  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ IOC World Bird List Hummingbirds
  2. ↑ a b René Primevère Lesson in Adolphe Delattre u. a., p. 19
  3. ↑ Eugène Simon, pp. 53, 285
  4. ↑ Internet Bird Collection Rufous-Crested Coquette
  5. ↑ James A. Jobling p. 230
  6. ^ René Primevère Lesson in Adolphe Delattre a. a., p. 13 This is evident from the title of the article.