Festive Coquette

Brazil

Jul 17

Festive Coquette (Lophornis chalybeus)

Name Origin:
The genus name Lophornis is from Greek lophos (“crest”) and ornis (“bird”), referencing the genus’ elaborate head crests. The species name chalybeus means “steel blue” in Latin, describing the male’s metallic blue-green iridescence.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 6.5–7.5 cm (2.6–3.0 in)
⚖️ Weight: 2.2–2.6 g (0.08–0.09 oz)
🌎 Range: Endemic to eastern Brazil
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Atlantic Forest edge, secondary woodland, plantations, and gardens
🧬 Clade: Lophornithini “Coquettes” (ornamental forest hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic species — no recognized subspecies.

Distribution: Found along the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil, from Bahia and Minas Gerais south through Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo to Santa Catarina. Occurs in lowland and foothill forest, particularly at forest edges and in secondary or semi-open habitats with flowering shrubs.

Species Overview

The Festive Coquette is a sparkling symbol of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Despite its small size, it is highly active and conspicuous, often hovering at eye level around flowering trees and shrubs. Males are especially striking during courtship displays, when they fan their tails and flash their metallic crests in sunlight. Its combination of iridescence, motion, and rarity of form makes it one of the most celebrated Lophornis hummingbirds.

Male Description:
The male exhibits shimmering emerald-green upperparts, a glittering golden-green throat and breast, and a short, coppery tail. The head bears a green and copper spangled crest, and white post-ocular tufts contrast sharply against the dark crown. The underparts are buffy with green mottling, and the flanks show a bronzy wash.

Female Description:
The female lacks the crest and has green upperparts, buff underparts with green spots, and a rufous tail with black subterminal bands. Her white post-ocular stripe is less pronounced, and the throat is pale with faint green spotting.

Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits edges and clearings of humid Atlantic Forest, often frequenting gardens, cacao plantations, and forest fragments rich in flowering plants. It feeds on nectar from Heliconia, Stachytarpheta, Inga, and Erythrina, as well as small insects caught on the wing. The Festive Coquette performs rapid, pendulum-like hovering flights while feeding and displays an audible hum from its fast wingbeats. Males are territorial, frequently returning to favored perches.

Conservation Note:
The Festive Coquette is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but it is locally uncommon due to the severe fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest. Habitat loss and degradation remain the greatest threats. The species persists in several protected regions, including Itatiaia National Park, Serra do Mar State Park, and Reserva Natural Vale. Preservation of lowland Atlantic Forest remnants and restoration of native flowering vegetation are key to ensuring the survival of this glittering Lophornithini species.