Introduction
The Coppery-headed Emerald (Microchera cupreiceps) is a small hummingbird endemic to Costa Rica. It inhabits humid montane forests, forest edges and other partly open habitats, where its metallic green plumage and coppery crown can be seen as it visits flowering plants. The species was formerly placed in the genus Elvira, a name that remains useful when consulting older bird records.
Physical Description
The Coppery-headed Emerald is approximately 7.5 cm long and weighs about 3 to 3.3 g. It has a moderately curved bill, with a pinkish base to the lower mandible, and a short tail with prominent white feathers.
Adult males have metallic green upperparts, a dull coppery-bronze crown and nape, and brighter coppery-bronze uppertail coverts. The central tail feathers are bronze, while the remaining feathers are mainly white with grey or dark tips. The underparts are bright metallic green, contrasting with white undertail coverts. Some males in the northern part of the range have a small purple patch on the centre of the breast.
Females are duller overall. They have metallic green upperparts, bronze-tinged uppertail coverts and pale greyish-white underparts, with green spotting along the flanks. Immature males resemble females or dull adult males and may retain darker tips on the tail feathers while their adult plumage develops.
Range and Habitat
The Coppery-headed Emerald is endemic to Costa Rica and occurs mainly in the northern and central highlands. It is found especially on the Caribbean slope, with a more limited distribution on the Pacific side in the northern part of the country.
It uses humid and moist montane forest, forest edges, clearings and semi-open areas. It may also occur in shaded plantations, pastures with scattered trees and gardens where suitable flowering plants are present. The species is generally associated with elevations from roughly 600 to 1,500 metres, although it can move to lower elevations after breeding, particularly on the Caribbean slope.
The species is not a long-distance migrant, but it undertakes local or altitudinal movements. Following the breeding season, birds may descend to elevations of approximately 300 to 600 metres.
Where to See This Species
Tapantí National Park, Cartago Province, Costa Rica
Tapantí protects humid montane forest in the central highlands and is listed by Costa Rica’s national conservation authority among sites where the Coppery-headed Emerald occurs. Look along forest edges, flowering vegetation and suitable clearings, particularly during the wetter highland months when plant growth is abundant.
Nearby accommodation: Orosi is the nearest practical settlement, with guest houses, small hotels, cabins and self-catering accommodation in the surrounding valley.
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
The Monteverde area is a documented site for the Coppery-headed Emerald and includes accessible cloud-forest reserves and trails. Forest edges, flowering gardens and quiet sections of reserve trails can be productive, with the species listed locally during the breeding season from approximately February to June.
Nearby accommodation: Santa Elena and Monteverde provide a wide range of lodges, guest houses, hotels, cabins and self-catering accommodation.
Behaviour and Diet
The Coppery-headed Emerald is active by day and feeds mainly on nectar from a variety of flowering shrubs, trees and vines. It also takes small insects and spiders, which provide additional protein, particularly during periods of breeding and feather growth. By moving between flowers, it contributes to the pollination of plants in its forest habitat.
Like many hummingbirds, it can hover while feeding and make rapid, agile flights between flowers and perches. Males may defend productive feeding areas from other hummingbirds. During the breeding season, small groups of males may gather and chase one another in display areas known as arenas.
In dense forest, males are often seen higher in the canopy while females more frequently use the understory, although both sexes may occur at different levels along forest edges and in clearings. Detailed information on nesting sites and parental care is limited, but the species is known to produce small clutches typical of hummingbirds.
Identification Tips
- Look for a very small, compact hummingbird with a moderately curved bill and a short-looking tail.
- An adult male is best recognised by the coppery-bronze crown, metallic green body and conspicuous white tail feathers.
- Females are paler below and lack the male’s strongly contrasting coppery crown.
- The white outer tail feathers are useful at close range, especially when the bird perches between feeding visits.
- Search flowering plants along humid montane forest edges, clearings, gardens and shaded agricultural areas.
- The species can be confused with other small green hummingbirds in Costa Rica. Confirm the identification using the combination of size, curved bill, coppery crown in males, white tail pattern and highland forest habitat rather than relying on colour alone.
Conservation Status
The Coppery-headed Emerald is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This status does not mean that the species is free from risk. Its distribution is restricted to Costa Rica, and the loss, fragmentation or alteration of humid montane forest and suitable forest-edge habitat could affect local populations.
Protected areas, forest restoration, habitat corridors and wildlife-friendly farming practices are important for maintaining the flowering resources and connected forest habitats on which the species depends. The available information does not support stating a precise global population size or a definitive population trend here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Coppery-headed Emerald found?
It is endemic to Costa Rica, occurring mainly in the northern and central highlands, especially on the Caribbean slope and in parts of the northern Pacific highlands.
What habitat does the Coppery-headed Emerald prefer?
It prefers humid montane forest, forest edges, clearings and semi-open areas with flowering plants. It can also visit shaded plantations, tree-rich pastures and gardens.
Is the Coppery-headed Emerald migratory?
It is not a long-distance migrant. However, it makes local altitudinal movements and may descend to lower elevations after the breeding season.
How can the Coppery-headed Emerald be identified?
Adult males have a coppery-bronze crown, metallic green plumage and white tail feathers. Females are duller, with pale underparts and less obvious bronze colouring. The moderately curved bill and small size are also useful clues.
What does the Coppery-headed Emerald eat?
Its diet consists mainly of nectar from flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders.
What is its conservation status?
The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Habitat loss and fragmentation remain relevant conservation concerns because the bird has a restricted range in Costa Rica.
References
- IOC World Bird List
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación, Costa Rica
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