see text The bearded helmetcrests (Oxypogon) are a genus of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.

The bearded helmetcrest was split into four separate species based on a study of biometric and plumage data published in 2013.

[5][6] A study of mitochondrial DNA of hummingbirds shows it to be most closely related to the bearded mountaineer (Oreonympha nobilis) and the rufous-capped thornbill (Chalcostigma ruficeps).

The adult male has a distinctive pointed black crest and a shaggy white beard.

[9] All species often perch on boulders and flit between low-flowering shrubs, visiting the flowers of the genera Espeletia, Echeveria, Siphocampylus, Castilleja and Draba.