Stephanoxis loddigesii
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The purple-crowned plovercrest, or violet-crowned plovercrest, (Stephanoxis loddigesii) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The purple-crowned plovercrest and green-crowned plovercrest (Stephanoxis lalandi) were originally treated as separate species but in the mid-1900s were combined under the name "plovercrest" with the binomial S. lalandi. A study published in 2014 provided evidence that the original two-species treatment was correct. Taxonomists worldwide agreed and the two taxa were restored to species status. They are the only members of the genus and are monotypic.
The purple-crowned plovercrest is 8.5 to 9.5 cm (3.3 to 3.7 in) long. Males weigh about 3.7 g (0.13 oz). Both sexes have a shortish, straight, black bill. Adult males have a shaggy violet-blue crest. Their face, chin, and throat are brownish with a white spot behind the eye. Their upperparts yellowish green. Their lower throat to upper belly is blackish violet-blue and the rest of the underparts are gray. Their central two pairs of tail feathers are green and the rest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-crowned Plovercrest sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 64 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 227th most-seen of the 346 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-crowned Plovercrest in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Purple-crowned Plovercrest sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Purple-crowned Plovercrest sightings, Iguaçu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Iguazú National Park (Argentina, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Purple-crowned Plovercrest that you can see in Iguaçu National Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Violet-capped Woodnymph (about 20%), Scale-throated Hermit (about 10%) and Versicolored Emerald (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Purple-crowned Plovercrest is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguaçu National Park (64 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
