Introduction
The Black-crested Coquette (Lophornis helenae) is a tiny hummingbird of southern Mexico and Central America. It is best known for the male’s wispy black crest, brilliant green throat and contrasting white rump band. Although often associated with rainforest, it commonly uses forest edges, clearings and regenerating vegetation where flowering plants are available.
Physical Description
The Black-crested Coquette is approximately 6.3–7.5 centimetres long and weighs about 2.5–3 grams. Like many hummingbirds, it has a short, straight bill and narrow wings adapted for rapid, hovering flight.
Adult males are highly distinctive. They have metallic green upperparts, a dark green crown with a slender blackish crest, a glittering green throat and elongated cheek feathers edged with dark markings. A white band across the rump contrasts with the darker lower back and tail coverts. The breast is bronze-green, while the belly is pale with bronze spotting. The bill is reddish with a dark tip, and the outer tail feathers are rufous.
Females lack the crest and elongated cheek feathers. They are more subdued, with green upperparts, a pale throat and underparts marked with bronze or green spotting. Their tail shows rufous tones and a dark subterminal band. Immature males resemble females but gradually develop the adult crest and male throat pattern as they mature.
Range and Habitat
The species occurs from southern Veracruz and Chiapas in Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to eastern Costa Rica. A separate Pacific-slope population occurs in southern Mexico and western Guatemala. In Costa Rica it is primarily associated with the Caribbean slope, although it may occur seasonally or irregularly in parts of the central highlands.
Black-crested Coquettes inhabit humid lowland and montane evergreen forest, especially semi-open areas such as forest edges, gaps, secondary growth, plantations and shrubby clearings. They often feed in the canopy but may descend to flowering shrubs at forest margins. Recorded elevations range from near sea level to approximately 1,500 metres in the northern part of the range, and commonly from about 300 to 1,200 metres in Costa Rica.
The species is generally resident, although local or altitudinal movements have been reported, particularly in Costa Rica. It is currently treated as a single species without widely recognised subspecies.
Where to See This Species
Braulio Carrillo National Park, Heredia and San José provinces, Costa Rica
Braulio Carrillo National Park supports humid Caribbean-slope forest, forest edges and flowering clearings used by the species. Black-crested Coquette is included in regional bird checklists for the park, and birding records have documented birds around flowering shrubs near the park’s accessible sectors. Early morning visits and careful scanning of flowering plants at forest edges offer the best prospects.
Nearby accommodation: San Isidro de Heredia, San José and the communities along the park’s accessible routes provide hotels, guest houses, ecolodges and other practical accommodation.
Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge, Alajuela province, Costa Rica
Maquenque protects lowland Caribbean forest, wetlands and surrounding habitat in an area where Black-crested Coquette has been recorded. The refuge’s management documentation lists the species at approximately 300–1,200 metres, making forest margins, secondary vegetation and flowering areas worthwhile places to search.
Nearby accommodation: Boca Tapada and Pital are practical gateway areas, with ecolodges, guest houses, cabins and other small-scale accommodation available in the wider region.
Behaviour and Diet
Black-crested Coquettes are active during the day and are usually encountered singly. They are small and fast-moving, often feeding high in the canopy before dropping into flowering shrubs or edge vegetation. They may be subordinate to larger hummingbirds and do not always defend feeding sites aggressively.
Nectar forms the main part of the diet. The birds visit small flowers and trees with abundant blooms, as well as flowering vines and epiphytes. They also take tiny insects and other arthropods, probably by gleaning them from foliage or capturing them during short flights. This animal food is especially important for adults feeding young.
Males perform display flights and show off the crest and elongated facial feathers during courtship. The female is responsible for nest construction and incubation. The nest is a small cup made from fine plant material and bound with spider silk, usually placed on a slender branch near the edge of woodland. As with other hummingbirds, the female raises the young alone.
Identification Tips
- Look for a very small hummingbird with a short bill, rapid wingbeats and a relatively short tail.
- An adult male is identified by the wispy black crest, glittering green throat, elongated cheek feathers and bold white rump band.
- The female is much plainer and lacks the crest, but retains the white rump band, green upperparts and rufous tones in the tail.
- Search flowering shrubs, forest gaps and edges, but also scan the upper canopy where the species may spend much of its time.
- Range is useful for separating it from other coquettes. In Costa Rica, the Black-crested Coquette is mainly associated with the Caribbean slope, whereas the White-crested Coquette is concentrated farther south and is readily distinguished by the male’s white crest.
Conservation Status
The Black-crested Coquette is assessed as Least Concern globally. A precise population estimate and detailed population trend are not available, but habitat loss and degradation remain important concerns. Conversion of humid forest to agriculture, pasture, plantations and development can reduce feeding and nesting habitat, particularly where forest edges become isolated or lose native flowering plants.
The species occurs in protected areas, including national parks and wildlife refuges in Costa Rica. Maintaining connected humid forest, protecting secondary growth and forest edges, retaining native flowering plants and limiting further habitat conversion are important conservation measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Black-crested Coquette live?
It occurs from southern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to eastern Costa Rica, with an additional Pacific-slope population in southern Mexico and western Guatemala.
What does a male Black-crested Coquette look like?
The adult male is a tiny green hummingbird with a wispy black crest, glittering green throat, elongated cheek feathers, a white rump band and rufous tones in the tail.
How can a female Black-crested Coquette be identified?
The female lacks the male’s crest and cheek feathers. She is mainly green above, pale and bronze-spotted below, with rufous tones and a dark band in the tail.
What does the Black-crested Coquette eat?
It feeds mainly on nectar from small flowers and flowering trees, supplemented by tiny insects and other arthropods.
Is the Black-crested Coquette migratory?
It is generally resident across its range, although local or altitudinal movements have been recorded, especially in Costa Rica.
Is the Black-crested Coquette endangered?
No. It is currently classified as Least Concern, although habitat loss and degradation may affect local populations.
References
- BirdLife International
- IOC World Bird List
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds of the World
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