Short-crested Coquette

The Short-crested Coquette, a diminutive and resplendent hummingbird, measures a mere 7 to 7.5 cm in length. Exhibiting sexual dimorphism, the male is adorned with a short, rufous crest with the longest feathers tipped in green. Its plumage is a tapestry of emerald green across the upperparts, accented by a white band that heralds the transition to the bronzy purple lower rump and green uppertail coverts. The throat shimmers with an iridescent emerald, set off by short orange cheek tufts with green tips, and a white band demarcates the throat from the pale cinnamon underparts. The tail is a mosaic of green central feathers and reddish cinnamon with black tips. The female, in contrast, lacks the male's ornate crest and cheek tufts, presenting a more subdued cinnamon forehead and pale green upperparts, with a buffy to whitish band and a dull green rump. Her underparts mirror the male's pale cinnamon, and her tail feathers are a mix of green with blackish tips and cinnamon with a black bar and pale buff tips.

Identification Tips

To identify the Short-crested Coquette, look for the male's distinctive short rufous crest and the green-tipped orange cheek tufts. Both sexes possess a short, straight, black bill, but the female's lack of cheek patches and a more uniform coloration can help distinguish her from the male.

Habitat

This species favors semi-deciduous and humid evergreen forests, as well as pine-oak woodlands and plantations, where it flits among the understory.

Distribution

Endemic to Mexico, the Short-crested Coquette's presence is confined to a perilously small 25 km stretch along the Atoyac-Paraíso-Puerto del Gallo road in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, northwest of Acapulco, at elevations ranging from 900 to 1,800 meters.

Behaviour

The Short-crested Coquette is thought to be sedentary, though it may undertake some altitudinal movements. It is known to defer to larger hummingbirds when feeding.

Song & calls

This species is mostly silent, but when it does vocalize, it emits a high, sharp 'sip' or 'tsip' while feeding, and occasionally quiet dry chips 'chi..chi-chi..'. Its wings produce a low, bee-like humming when it hovers.

Breeding

The breeding season is speculated to occur from November to February, but details of its breeding habits remain enigmatic.

Diet and Feeding

The Short-crested Coquette sustains itself on small arthropods and nectar from a variety of diminutive flowering plants, employing a hawking technique from perches to catch insects.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Short-crested Coquette as Critically Endangered. With a known range devoid of protection and a population estimated at fewer than 1000 mature individuals, the species faces grave threats from habitat destruction due to land clearing for agriculture, including the cultivation of illegal narcotics.