The black-crested coquette is a type of hummingbird belonging to the Trochilidae family. It bears resemblance to a large insect. Its short beak is bright red with a black tip, while its back is a glossy green color. A white stripe separates its black rump from its green back. Its belly features a combination of green-bronze spots, and it sports a black and green crest on its head. The throat is adorned by sparkling green feathers, and the lower throat displays showy black-and-buff feathers. The bird is easily distinguished by its feathery crests and the white stripe on its rump. In contrast, adult females do not possess the crests or throat patches of adult males and tend to have duller, brownish plumage.
The Black-crested Coquette is a bird species that inhabits several Central American nations including Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
These birds have a liking for habitats that are characterized by a humid climate such as lowland forests or mountainous regions with subtropical or tropical weather. It is quite easy to spot them in the vicinity of rainforests, and surprisingly, even in places where forests have been severely affected by human activities.
The Black-crested Croquette bird species enjoys a varied diet consisting of nectar from different types of small, brightly colored and scented flowers that can be found on trees, herbs, shrubs, and epiphytes. Their preference is for nectar with a high sugar content. They use their long, straw-like tongues to extract the nectar while hovering and cocking their tails upwards, and are speedy in their actions, with the ability to lick at the nectar up to 13 times per second. The male birds stake out feeding territories and defend them fiercely by chasing away other males and larger insects such as bumblebees and hawk moths.
During the breeding season, it is the female bird’s responsibility to construct a comfortable and snugly nest using woven plant fibers. To keep the nest hidden from predators, the exterior is covered in green moss and placed securely in a shrub or tree, typically at a height of 1-5 meters. The interior is lined with soft materials and fortified with spider webbing. The female lays up to two white eggs and incubates them on her own for one to two weeks before allowing the chicks to venture out of the nest, even on colder nights, after about twelve days. This might be due to the limited space inside the nest. The chicks are capable of flying out of the nest at around 20 days old.
The Black-crested Coquette is a rare bird species that is not currently at risk of extinction. While its population has decreased by 10% in the last ten years, the numbers have stabilized and the bird is not considered endangered.
Take a look at the bird species featured in the video displayed: