| Hooded Visorbearer (Augastes lumachella) | ||
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Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil The Hooded Visorbearer is a Brazilian endemic found in the "campos rupestres" or montane scrub of a small area of Bahia. It is restricted altitudinally to between 900 and 2,000 metres above sea level. It feeds on nectar from cacti and flowering shrubs as well as on insects. |
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The most significant feature is its iridescent green "visor" which is only really noticeable when the bird is looking straight at you. This is also when you see the bright orange at the bottom of the throat showing on top of a white collar. This gives rise to its local Brazilian name of "gravatinho" or "little necktie". Note also the white spot behind the eye and the copper coloured tail feathers. |
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First described in 1838, it was rediscovered in 1928 by E. Kaempfer but this only became public knowledge in 1959. Classified as Near threatened by Birdlife International because it is restricted to a very small area, it is actually quite common within that area. There are illustrations in HBW, Volume 5, Pages 531, and 658. |
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The photo of the cactus shows Micranthocereus purpureus. In an article in Ciências Biológicas 3 (1/2): 131-132. 2003, Caio Machado et al explain how the nest of Hooded Visorbearer is made entirely from the cephalium hairs of this cactus. The article is available at http://www.uefs.br/dcbio/revistabiologia/vol3_11_131_132.pdf | |
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