HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Frilled Coquette

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lophornis magnificus

The Frilled Coquette is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.

It is one of the smallest birds, measuring 2.6 – 2.8 inches in length and a weight of 2.1 grams.

Males have a long, rufous-orange erectile crest and green and white fan-shaped cheek feathers. Forehead and throat are iridescent green, which in certain lights look black.

Females are duller in color than the males and lack the crest and the fanning cheek feathers.

Both sexes have a coppery green back with a whitish rump band. Tail is golden rufous. Underparts are whitish-greenish. The inner half of the bills is red, while the tip is black. These short, thin, straight bills have a long tongue used to eat nectar.

Feed on small arthropods and on the nectar of small flowers (mainly Cirus, Delphinium and Duranta arborensis).

Subtropical or tropical moist lowland Atlantic forests, coffee plantations and heavily degraded former forest, at an elevation up to 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) above sea level.

This species has an extremely large range, but can be found only in Brazil.

The nest is cup-shaped made of parts of plants, moss and bark, camouflaged with green and whitish lichens and silk threads of spiders. It is located close to the ground.

The female lays 2 eggs which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks fledge 3 weeks after hatching.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://planetbirds.blogspot.com
https://ebird.org