The violet-capped woodnymph is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Region
Atlantic Forest
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern and southeastern Brazil south into eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, with outliers into northern Uruguay. Prefers evergreen and semideciduous Atlantic Forest, forest edges, second-growth, plantations, and well-vegetated parks and gardens. Often found along streams and in clearings with abundant flowering shrubs and epiphytes. Uses both understory and mid-canopy, visiting flowering trees as well as low shrubs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A vibrant hummingbird of the Atlantic Forest, the violet-capped woodnymph is named for the male’s gleaming violet crown. It is a fast, agile hoverer that aggressively defends rich flower patches. Females look quite different, with pale underparts and a neat white post-ocular stripe. Like most hummingbirds, it supplements nectar with tiny insects for protein.
Male
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with precise hovering
Social Behavior
Typically solitary at flowers, with males defending small feeding territories. Courtship involves rapid chases and display flights. The female builds a tiny cup nest of plant down and spider silk on a low to mid-level branch and alone incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are high, thin chips and short, buzzy trills given during foraging and territorial encounters. The song is simple and metallic, often a rapid series of tseep or tzip notes. Wing hum is audible at close range.
Plumage
Male with glittering green body, vivid violet cap, bluish-green throat and breast, and a dark, slightly forked tail. Female green above with grayish-white underparts, green speckling on flanks, and white-tipped tail feathers. Feathers are sleek and iridescent, shifting hue with light angle.
Diet
Takes nectar from a wide variety of tubular and brushy flowers, including shrubs, vines, and epiphytes such as bromeliads. Frequently hawks tiny insects mid-air and gleans small arthropods from foliage to obtain protein. Selects high-nectar blooms and revisits productive patches, especially after defending them from rivals.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along forest edges, light gaps, gardens, and streamside vegetation where flowering plants are concentrated. Often forages from low understory to mid-canopy, moving methodically among blossoms.
