About Oxypogon guerinii (Boissonneau, 1840)
The green-bearded helmetcrest (scientific name Oxypogon guerinii (Boissonneau, 1840)) has a total length of 11.2 to 12.7 cm (4.4 to 5.0 in). Males weigh approximately 5.7 g (0.20 oz), while females weigh 4.8 g (0.17 oz). This species has a short, straight black bill. The adult male has a long white crest and a mostly dark brown to black face marked with a white "collar". Its upperparts are bronzy in color. It bears a thin glittering green gorget with white edges that forms a "beard". The rest of its underparts are grayish bronzy. Its tail is moderately long, forked, and colored coppery to bronzy green, with large amounts of white on the outer feathers. The adult female is similar to the male, but lacks the male's crest and beard, and has buffy white underparts with some greenish mottling. Juveniles look similar to the adult female; juvenile males develop a partial crest and beard. The green-bearded helmetcrest is distributed in the Eastern Andes of Colombia, ranging as far south as Cundinamarca Department. It inhabits humid páramo, particularly páramo that hosts Espeletia vegetation. It sometimes also occurs at the edge of Polylepis woodlands. Females are often found in gorges, while males tend to stay in more open landscapes. The species occurs at elevations between 3,000 and 4,200 m (9,800 and 13,800 ft).
