Horned Sungem Heliactin bilophus Scientific name definitions

The sole member of the genus Heliactin, the slender-bodied Horned Sungem is a remarkable hummingbird, well worthy of such an evocative name. While females are primarily green above with clean white underparts, and long central rectrices, males are dazzlingly adorned with a dark blue crown, black throat and upper breast, and tiny red, blue and gold ‘horns’, as well as also possessing elongated central tail feathers. In terms of its distribution, the species is found extremely locally north of the Amazon, in southern Suriname, as well as in the savannas of Amapá, in far northeast Brazil, but then much more continuously (albeit increasingly less so due to habitat destruction) across the Brazilian interior to eastern Bolivia. It favors native cerrado vegetation and is found to at least 1000 m in elevation. Like many hummingbirds, the Horned Sungem appears to perform local movements, at least in parts of its range, in response to flowering events, although elsewhere the species’ populations are seemingly more sedentary.

9·5–11 cm; 1·8–2·8 g (1 Silva, J. M. C., D. C. Oren, J. C. Roma, and L. M. P. Henriques (1997). Composition and distribution patterns of the avifauna of an Amazon upland savanna, Amapá, Brazil. In Studies in Neotropical ornithology honoring Ted Parker. Ornithological Monographs 48 (J. V. Remsen, Editor), American Ornithologists' Union, Lawrence, KA, USA. pp. 743–762. Close ). Male has short, straight, black bill; centre of crown shining dark blue, lateral crown tufts glittering red, blue and gold, upperparts bronzy-green  ; sides of head, throat and upper breast black contrasting with the white sides of neck and belly; tail feathers narrow and pointed  , central four longest, central pair green, remainder white. ­Female lacks iridescent feathers on head  and the black throat. Juvenile  similar to female.

Extreme S Suriname through CN, E & C Brazil (Amapá; S Maranhão to Alagoas and Bahia S to São Paulo and W to W Mato Grosso, irregularly to Rondônia) to E Bolivia (Santa Cruz). Reported also from Acre (extreme W Brazil) and S Amazonas (WC Brazil) (4 Aleixo, A., and F. Poletto (2007). Birds of an open vegetation enclave in southern Brazilian Amazonia. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 119:610–630. Close ).

Migratory in parts of C & E Brazil (Distríto Federal, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Espírito Santo); birds arrive in Mar and May when Verbenaceae and Labiatae flowers are in bloom. Sedentary in other areas. Migration patterns in the southern part of range are little studied. A very mobile species, as perhaps reflected by reports from far W Brazil, outside normal known range.

Nectar of flowering  bushes and trees like Stachytarpheta, Lantana, Citrus, Malvaviscus, Palicourea  (5 Justino, D.G., Maruyama, P.K. and Oliveira, P.E. (2012). Floral resource availability and hummingbird territorial behaviour on a Neotropical savanna shrub. Journal of Ornithology. 153(1): 189–197. Close ), Malvaceae and Urticaceae. Small insects are taken in the air by hawking, but perhaps sometimes from surfaces of leaves  and flowers.

 A complex twittering comprising squeaky, burry and buzzy notes during chases. Calls include a repeated “tsit” or “tseet”.

Mainly Jun–Oct, but nest  with recently fledged young recorded in Mato Grosso in early Jun. Near Brasília, nests have been found in Apr and May, with just-fledged young  recorded there in late May. Tiny, compact cup-shaped nest is built with soft cotton-like material and spider web, decorated outside with some lichen, on a forking branch of small bush, such as Ouratea, c. 1 m above the ground, occasionally higher; nest dimensions: height 19·5 mm, external diameter 29 mm, internal diameter 19 mm (6 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ). Clutch size two eggs, size 11 mm × 8 mm, mass 0·29 g (6 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); incubation 13 days, by female ; just-fledged young  naked and black; fledging  period 20–22 days. First breeding in second year.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Locally common. Readily accepts man-made open habitats such as gardens and cultivated areas. Has recently spread to Espírito Santo (CE Brazil), probably due to deforestation, but purported occurrence in state of Rio de Janeiro, sometimes mentioned in the literature, remains unconfirmed (7 Pacheco, J. F., and R. Parrini (1998). Registros questionáveis de aves do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. I - Non-Passeres. Atualidades Ornitológicas 81: 5. Close ). Also recently discovered in S Amazonas, Brazil, the first record for that state (8 Aleixo, A. and Poletto, F. (2007). Birds of an open vegetation enclave in southern Brazilian Amazonia. Wilson J. Orn.. 119(4): 610–630. Close ). Occurs in several protected areas throughout its range, e.g. Serra do Cipó, Brasília and Chapada dos Guimarães National Parks, Itororó de Uberlândia Ecological Reserve and Serra de Caldas Novas State Park (5 Justino, D.G., Maruyama, P.K. and Oliveira, P.E. (2012). Floral resource availability and hummingbird territorial behaviour on a Neotropical savanna shrub. Journal of Ornithology. 153(1): 189–197. Close ) (Brazil) and Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Bolivia). Until end of 1970s this hummingbird was one of the most sought after species for the international bird trade in Brazil, but this trade has now been curbed.