vs Long-tailed Sylph

Leproplaca cirrochroa compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

is Near Threatened while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Teloschistales (Teloschistales)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Teloschistaceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Leproplaca	Aglaiocercus
Species	Leproplaca cirrochroa	Aglaiocercus kingii

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Leproplaca cirrochroa is a crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It grows on nutrient-enriched rock surfaces and tree bark, often in coastal or sheltered habitats. Like other members of the genus, it produces bright orange-yellow thalli from anthraquinone pigments.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.