Hooded Visorbearer

Overview

The hooded visorbearer (Augastes lumachella) is a small, sexually dimorphic hummingbird endemic to the eastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, it is restricted to high-altitude habitats in the Chapada Diamantina region.

Identification

• Males display iridescent bronzy-green upper and underparts with a black crown and sides, a golden-green forehead and throat, and a narrow white breast band with a golden-orange spot.
• Females are more subdued, featuring green heads with brown sides, a grey face, and less iridescent throat plumage with a stronger bluish-green lower border.
• Measures 8.3–10 cm in length with a short, straight black bill.
• Song is described as 'nasal' and 'dry', transcribed as tru tweé tru zee and typically repeated more than three times in succession.

Habitat

Found exclusively in the campo rupestre ecoregion of the Chapada Diamantina, a high-altitude, semi-arid environment characterised by poor soils, rocky outcrops, and harsh climatic conditions. The species inhabits elevations between 900 and 2,000 m, specifically on the summits of mountains and mesas featuring cacti and low shrubs.

Diet

Feeds primarily on nectar but also consumes insects. It typically forages low to the ground, often less than 1 m above the surface, and has been observed visiting Vriesea flowers early in the day to collect residual nectar.

Did you know?

For several decades in the 20th century, the species was presumed to have gone extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961 by Brazilian naturalist Augusto Ruschi. Its nest is constructed entirely from cactus spines, usually positioned about a metre off the ground.