Photography and video documenting one of Mexico’s rarest hummingbirds are helping American Bird Conservancy share the story of the Critically Endangered Short-crested Coquette.
I am honored to have several of my photographs of the Short-crested Coquette featured by American Bird Conservancy as part of its ongoing efforts to bring attention to this extraordinary and highly threatened hummingbird.
In September 2026, American Bird Conservancy featured the Short-crested Coquette in its Bird of the Week email, titled “Short-crested Coquette: A Miniature Microendemic.” Several of my photographs were used throughout the feature, helping introduce readers to a hummingbird found only within a remarkably small area of Guerrero, Mexico.
The recognition extends beyond the email campaign. ABC's extensive Short-crested Coquette species page also features a collection of my photographs, along with video footage I captured of the species in the wild. The page explores the hummingbird's natural history, habitat, threats, and the conservation work underway to protect it. ABC currently identifies the Short-crested Coquette as Critically Endangered, with an estimated population of only 250 to 999 individuals and a decreasing population trend.
ABC's online Bird Gallery includes multiple Short-crested Coquette photographs credited to me, with additional imagery appearing within the species' life-history section.
A Hummingbird with an Extremely Small World
The Short-crested Coquette (Lophornis brachylophus) is a true microendemic, restricted to the Sierra de Atoyac within Guerrero's Sierra Madre del Sur. ABC notes that most observations have historically come from a narrow stretch of mountainous habitat, making the species especially vulnerable to changes within its limited range
Its habitat has been affected by agricultural expansion, logging, forest fires, and other pressures. In response, American Bird Conservancy, researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, and local communities have been working to protect the forests upon which the species depends. Six communities have helped establish reserves encompassing nearly 22,000 acres of habitat for the Short-crested Coquette and other wildlife.
That conservation work makes having my photographs used by ABC particularly meaningful to me. My goal has never been simply to photograph rare hummingbirds. I want the images I bring home to help people see these birds, understand what makes them extraordinary, and recognize what could be lost without conservation.
Seeing photographs and video I captured in the field being used by an organization actively working to protect this species brings those two parts of my work together: photography and conservation.
