Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Violet-capped Woodnymph (Thalurania glaucopis), male
Violet-capped Woodnymph, Male

Violet-capped Woodnymph

Thalurania glaucopis

The Violet-capped Woodnymph, a member of the hummingbird family, is a dazzling avian jewel with a length ranging from 8 to 11 cm. The males, slightly heavier, weigh between 4 to 6.1 grams, while females tip the scales at 4 to 5 grams. Both sexes boast a medium-length, straight, and predominantly blackish bill.

Identification Tips

Adult males are distinguished by their glittering violet-blue foreheads and crowns, complemented by dark golden-green upperparts and a steel blue, forked tail. Their underparts shimmer in brilliant green, with undertail coverts tinged in greenish to bluish hues. Females, on the other hand, are cloaked in green above with a dirty white to pale buff below, and their slightly forked tails feature metallic green inner feathers and steel blue outer ones with white tips. Subadult males exhibit a turquoise-blue forehead and crown, with whitish bars on their throat feathers and grayish brown patches on their underparts.

Habitat

This species thrives in the interiors and fringes of primary forests, as well as in scrublands and the green spaces of suburban and urban areas.

Distribution

The Violet-capped Woodnymph graces eastern and southeastern Brazil, from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, ventures into northeastern Argentina's Misiones Province, eastern Paraguay, and northern Uruguay. It is typically found at elevations from sea level up to 850 meters.

Behaviour

Known to be a short-distance migrant, the Violet-capped Woodnymph's specific migratory patterns remain a mystery. In Paraguay, it is notably present only during the non-breeding season.

Song & calls

The presumed song of this species is a monotonous and rapid series of evenly spaced metallic chips, while in flight, it emits short dry chips that can merge into a dry trill or chatter.

Breeding

Breeding season spans from September to February. The female constructs a bowl nest from soft plant down and fibers, adorned with fern scales and lichen, typically placed on a horizontal branch. She incubates a clutch of two eggs for approximately 15 days, with the young emerging 20 to 25 days post-hatch.

Diet and Feeding

The Violet-capped Woodnymph forages for nectar across all strata of its habitat, visiting a diverse array of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees. It also supplements its diet with small insects, which it catches by hawking from perches or by gleaning from vegetation.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Violet-capped Woodnymph as Least Concern. Despite its large range, the population size and trend are not well documented. Currently, there are no immediate threats identified, and it is one of the most common trochilids in Southeast Brazil, with a presence in numerous protected areas.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Violet-capped Woodnymphs on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Hummingbirds

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.