Black-crested Coquette

Jul 17

Black-crested Coquette (Lophornis helenae)

Name Origin:
The genus name Lophornis comes from the Greek lophos meaning “crest” and ornis meaning “bird,” referring to the prominent crests of male coquettes. The species name helenae honors Helen, the wife of Cuban naturalist Juan Cristóbal Gundlach, who described several Caribbean and Central American hummingbirds in the 19th century.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 6.5–7.5 cm (2.6–3 in)
⚖️ Weight: 2–2.5 g (0.07–0.09 oz)
🌎 Range: Southern Mexico to western Panama
🧭 Elevation: 300–1,200 m (980–3,940 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Humid and semi-humid forest edges, clearings, and gardens with flowering trees
🧬 Clade: Lesbiini "Coquettes" and high-Andean hummingbirds
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic species with no recognized subspecies.

Distribution: Found from southern Mexico (Chiapas and Oaxaca) through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica to western Panama. It inhabits the low and mid-elevation forest zones, particularly along the Caribbean slope.

Species Overview

The Black-crested Coquette is one of Central America’s most ornate hummingbirds, easily recognized by the male’s iridescent green body, fiery crest, and distinctive white rump band. Despite its small size, it displays bold territorial behavior and dazzling aerial agility as it moves between flowering trees in tropical foothills.

Male Description:
The male has bronzy-green upperparts, a shimmering coppery-orange crest, and a white band across the rump. The gorget is brilliant emerald green that can appear golden in sunlight. The underparts are pale gray, and the tail is short and dark bronze. The crest feathers can be raised or flattened depending on mood or display.

Female Description:
The female lacks the crest and gorget but is equally elegant. She has green upperparts, grayish-white underparts, and a white rump band similar to the male’s. Her tail is dark with white tips on the outer feathers. Females are often seen foraging quietly at low to mid-level flowering shrubs.

Habitat & Behavior:
This coquette prefers humid lowland and foothill forests as well as edges, clearings, and plantations where flowering trees are abundant. It feeds on nectar from Inga, Heliconia, and Cephaelis species, occasionally gleaning insects from foliage. The flight is swift and darting, with males frequently engaging in short display chases near favorite flower patches.

Conservation Note:
Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Black-crested Coquette remains locally common but dependent on well-vegetated forest edges and secondary growth. Deforestation and conversion to intensive agriculture have reduced habitat in some areas. Protecting lowland forest corridors and shade-grown coffee systems helps preserve the flowering resources crucial for this tiny, ornamental hummingbird.

Photographed in Costa Rica