About Stephanoxis loddigesii (Vigors, 1831)
The purple-crowned plovercrest, scientifically named Stephanoxis loddigesii (Vigors, 1831), measures 8.5 to 9.5 cm (3.3 to 3.7 in) in total length. Males weigh approximately 3.7 g (0.13 oz). Both males and females have a moderately short, straight, black bill. Adult males have a shaggy violet-blue crest. Their face, chin, and throat are brownish, with a white spot located behind the eye. Their upperparts are yellowish green. From their lower throat to their upper belly, the plumage is blackish violet-blue, and the rest of their underparts are gray. Their central two pairs of tail feathers are green; the remaining tail feathers are green with a blackish band near the tip and whitish ends. Adult females and juveniles have a much smaller crest. Like adult males, their upperparts are yellowish green and their underparts are gray. This species is distributed in eastern Paraguay, far northeastern Argentina, and southern Brazil, reaching as far north as southern São Paulo state. It inhabits the forest understory, scrublands, and vegetation growing alongside watercourses. Its elevation range extends from sea level to approximately 900 m (3,000 ft).
