Introduction
The Dot-eared Coquette (Lophornis gouldii) is a tiny hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It occurs mainly in north-central Brazil, with a smaller range extending into eastern Bolivia. The species is known for the male’s ornate crest and elongated cheek feathers marked with iridescent spots.
Physical Description
The Dot-eared Coquette measures approximately 6.8–7.6 cm in length and weighs about 2.4–2.8 g. It has a short, straight bill with a reddish base and darker tip, although the bill can appear mostly dark in the field.
The adult male has bronzy-green upperparts, a white band across the rump, a rich rufous or chestnut crest and a brilliant green forehead and throat. Long white cheek feathers extend from either side of the head, each ending in a conspicuous iridescent green spot. These spotted plumes give the species its common name. The tail is relatively square, with bronzy-green central feathers and more rufous outer feathers.
The female lacks the male’s crest and elongated cheek plumes. She is mainly golden or bronzy green above, with a rufous throat, a paler grey-green underside and a broad dusky band near the end of the tail. Young males resemble females until the adult crest and cheek feathers develop.
Range and Habitat
The Dot-eared Coquette is distributed across north-central and central Brazil, from eastern Pará and western Maranhão south and west through Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso. It also occurs in eastern Bolivia, particularly in Santa Cruz. It is generally a resident species rather than a long-distance migrant, although local movements may follow flowering conditions.
The species has been recorded in humid lowland forest, forest edges, gallery forest, cerrado woodland, cerradão, dry woodland and other semi-open habitats with flowering plants. Records are generally from low elevations, locally reaching approximately 800 metres. Although it can use edges and open areas, conservation assessments indicate that it is sensitive to the loss and degradation of mature native vegetation.
Where to See This Species
Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Mato Grosso, Brazil
The Dot-eared Coquette has been documented in the Chapada dos Guimarães region and is included in local bird inventories. The park’s cerrado, dry gallery forest, rocky ravines and wooded edges provide suitable habitat. Look for it around flowering vegetation, especially during the warmer and wetter parts of the year, but sightings are not guaranteed.
Nearby accommodation: The town of Chapada dos Guimarães provides hotels, guest houses, self-catering accommodation and camping options for visitors to the park.
Cantão State Park and Bananal-Cantão Environmental Protection Area, Tocantins, Brazil
Bird surveys in the Cantão region have recorded the Dot-eared Coquette, particularly in woodland and cerrado-associated habitats. The area contains a mixture of gallery forest, seasonal wetlands and other native vegetation, making it a useful location for searching during organised birding visits.
Nearby accommodation: Caseara is the main gateway settlement, with guest houses, small hotels, lodges and camping available in the surrounding region.
Gurupi Biological Reserve, Maranhão, Brazil
The species has been documented in the Gurupi Biological Reserve, a large protected area of dense Amazonian forest in western Maranhão. This is an important conservation site within a heavily fragmented landscape. Access is controlled, so visitors should arrange permission and follow current guidance from the reserve authorities rather than treating it as an open-access birding park.
Nearby accommodation: Pequiá and Açailândia are the nearest practical accommodation areas, offering simple hotels and guest houses. Specialist visitors may also use organised field accommodation arranged through research or conservation programmes.
Behaviour and Diet
The Dot-eared Coquette is active during the day and is usually encountered alone or in loose association with other hummingbirds. It is an agile flyer that can hover while feeding and may defend productive flowers or feeding areas from other small hummingbirds.
It feeds mainly on nectar from flowering trees, shrubs, vines and other plants. Like other hummingbirds, it also takes small insects and spiders, which provide protein and other nutrients. The species may follow a regular circuit of flowering plants, returning to favoured feeding sites as nectar becomes available.
Breeding information is limited, but the female builds the nest and provides all parental care. The nest is a small, shallow cup made from soft plant fibres and other fine materials, usually placed on a horizontal branch or fork. Clutches generally contain two eggs. Available observations indicate an incubation period of about 14 days, with young remaining in the nest for roughly three weeks after hatching.
Identification Tips
- Look for a very small hummingbird with bronzy-green upperparts and a white band across the rump.
- An adult male is distinctive because of his rufous crest, bright green forehead and throat, and white cheek plumes tipped with iridescent green spots.
- The female lacks the crest and cheek fan, and is more subdued, with a rufous throat and a dusky tail band.
- The Dot-eared Coquette can be confused with other Lophornis coquettes. The combination of white, spotted cheek plumes in the male, the rufous crest and the white rump band is especially useful for identification.
- Because the species is tiny and fast-moving, brief views may show only a flicker of green and white. Waiting near flowering vegetation and watching for repeated visits can improve the chances of confirmation.
Conservation Status
The Dot-eared Coquette is currently assessed globally as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Its population is considered to be declining, largely because of habitat loss and degradation across parts of its range.
Major threats include deforestation, conversion of native vegetation to pasture and cropland, fragmentation of forest and cerrado habitats, and infrastructure development. Hydroelectric projects and associated changes to riverine and gallery-forest habitats are also important regional concerns.
Protected areas such as Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, the Cantão protected-area complex, Gurupi Biological Reserve and other Amazonian and cerrado reserves help retain habitat. Continued protection of mature forest, gallery vegetation and connected native habitat, together with improved monitoring, is important for the species’ long-term conservation. Brazil’s national assessment has treated the species as Vulnerable, which reflects the greater pressure on some populations within the country and should not be confused with its current global IUCN category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can the Dot-eared Coquette be found?
It occurs mainly in north-central and central Brazil, from eastern Pará and western Maranhão through Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso. A smaller range extends into eastern Bolivia, especially Santa Cruz.
What does the male Dot-eared Coquette look like?
The male is a tiny bronzy-green hummingbird with a rufous crest, a bright green forehead and throat, a white rump band and elongated white cheek feathers tipped with iridescent green spots.
How is the female different from the male?
The female lacks the male’s crest and elongated cheek plumes. She is more subdued, with bronzy-green upperparts, a rufous throat, a paler underside and a dusky band across the tail.
What does the Dot-eared Coquette eat?
It feeds mainly on nectar from flowers and supplements this diet with small insects and spiders. Nectar supplies energy, while arthropods provide protein and other nutrients.
Is the Dot-eared Coquette migratory?
It is generally considered resident rather than a long-distance migrant. Local movements may occur when birds follow flowering conditions or changes in food availability.
Is the Dot-eared Coquette threatened?
The species is globally Near Threatened. Habitat loss, deforestation, fragmentation and infrastructure development are the principal concerns, although the level of threat varies across its range.
References
- IOC World Bird List
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade
Related posts
