- Lophornis ornatus
Identification
6.6 cm long and weighs 2.3 g. A tiny hummingbird
The black-tipped red bill is short and straight.
Male is a very striking bird. It has a rufous head crest and a coppery green back with a whitish rump band that is prominent in flight. The forehead and underparts are green, and black-spotted rufous plumes project from the neck sides. The tail is golden rufous.
Female lacks the crest and plumes. She has green upperparts, except for the whitish tail band, and rufous underparts which become much paler on the belly. The tail is mostly bronze green with a dusky band and whitish tips to the feathers.
Immature males are like the female, but the throat is whitish with fine dark spotting.
Distribution
They breed in eastern Venezuela, Trinidad, The Guianas and northern Brazil. It is an uncommon but widespread species, which appears to be a local or seasonal migrant, although its movements are not well understood.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
This small bird inhabits rainforest edges, open country, gardens and cultivation.
Behaviour
A tame and approachable species.
Breeding
The female lays two eggs in a small cup nest made of plant down and placed on a branch.
Diet
Their main diet consists of nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, and some small invertebrates.
Flight
The small size and steady flight means that this hummingbird often resembles a large bee as it moves from flower to flower.
Vocalisation
The call of this species while feeding is a light "chik".
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Tufted Coquette. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 8 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Tufted_Coquette
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
