The festive coquette hummingbird is a small, vividly colored hummingbird found in Central and South America. There are seven recognized subspecies of the festive coquette, each with slightly different plumage coloration and patterning. These hummingbirds average 3-4 inches in length and weigh 2-3 grams. They are named “coquettes” for their energetic, darting flight patterns. The festive coquette gets its common name from the brightly colored plumage of the males.
Description
Male festive coquettes have iridescent throats that appear dark blue or purple in most lighting. Their crowns and upper back feathers are an iridescent green. The lower back and rump feathers are white. The central tail feathers are a rusty cinnamon color, while the outer tail feathers are black with white tips. Females lack the bold, iridescent throat patch. Their throats are instead light gray, with fine dark streaks. The females’ crowns are gray-green rather than the vivid emerald of the males. Both sexes have a small white patch behind their eyes. Their bills are slender, straight and black. Their legs and feet are also blackish.
Geographic Range
The festive coquette is found from southern Mexico through Central America to Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and northwestern Argentina. The subspecies have slightly different ranges. L. versicolor versicolor is found from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. L. versicolor milleri inhabits Costa Rica and Panama. L. versicolor festiva ranges from Venezuela to Peru and northern Bolivia. L. versicolor veragua occurs in western Panama. L. versicolor nitida lives in southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. L. versicolor occidentalis can be found in western Ecuador and far northern Peru. L. versicolor berlepschi is found in southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia and western Brazil.
Habitat
This hummingbird inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, woodlands, second growth, scrublands, gardens and plantations. Festive coquettes occur mainly at lower elevations, up to around 5,000 feet. They are typically found in semi-open areas with a mix of trees, shrubs and open space rather than dense forest. They prefer habitats with plenty of flowering plants, their main food source.
Behavior
The festive coquette is a very active, energetic hummer. The small birds aggressively defend nectar-rich flowering plants and shrubs in their territory from other hummingbirds. They use swift, acrobatic flight maneuvers and vocalizations to chase intruders away. Males perform aerial courtship displays to attract females, flying in loops and dives while making buzzing and popping sounds with their tails.
Festive coquettes eat nectar, spiders, insects and other small invertebrates. Their long, extensible tongues allow them to reach nectar at the base of long tubular flowers. Some favorite nectar sources are heliconia, calliandra, and eucalyptus flowers. The birds also glean insects from leaves and branches by sight.
Reproduction
The breeding season of festive coquettes depends on their geographic location. Northern populations breed from March to June. Southern populations breed September through December. During courtship displays, the male flies in fast vertical loops above the female. If she is receptive to his advances, she will perch quietly as he continues his aerial dances.
The female festive coquette builds a small cup nest on a low horizontal branch or in a shrub or tree fork 2-15 feet above ground. She constructs the nest out of plant down, spider silk and lichens, binding these materials together with strands of bark fiber and decorating the exterior with lichens and moss for camouflage. The female lays two tiny white eggs and incubates them alone for 15-19 days.
The chicks hatch with closed eyes and little to no down. Both parents feed the nestlings with regurgitated insects and nectar. The young leave the nest at 18-26 days old. The female continues caring for them for another 3-4 weeks as they learn to forage on their own. Festive coquettes live for 5-6 years in the wild.
Subspecies Profiles
Versicolored Coquette (Lophornis versicolor versicolor)
This subspecies lives from southern Mexico through Nicaragua. The male’s throat is iridescent violet-blue. He has an iridescent emerald crown and white markings behind the eyes. The female’s throat is pale gray with dusky streaks. Her crown is gray-green.
Miller’s Coquette (Lophornis versicolor milleri)
Miller’s coquette is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. The male has a glistening purple throat patch. His rump is grayish rather than white. The female is duller overall than other subspecies. She has a gray throat and breast washed with greenish-bronze.
Festive Coquette (Lophornis versicolor festiva)
This nominate subspecies in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru has more vivid coloration than other races. The male’s throat patch is an iridescent violet-blue that appears to glow. His white leg tufts are long and fluffy. The female festive coquette has heavily streaked underparts.
Veragua Coquette (Lophornis versicolor veragua)
Veragua coquette lives in western Panama. Both sexes are smaller than other subspecies. The male has an elongated green forehead patch and bright blue throat. The female is relatively dingy with little ornamentation.
Shining Coquette (Lophornis versicolor nitida)
This race in southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador possesses brilliant, shining plumage. The male’s throat glows bright blue-violet. His lower abdomen is rufous rather than white. The female has a strongly patterned gray breast.
Western Coquette (Lophornis versicolor occidentalis)
Found in western Ecuador and far northern Peru, the male western coquette has an iridescent violet throat and bright green forehead. The female is small and relatively plain. Her throat is buffy with fine streaks.
Berlepsch’s Coquette (Lophornis versicolor berlepschi)
This subspecies in southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia and western Brazil is the largest race. The male has a bright purple throat, emerald green crown, and long white leg puffs. The female is also big, with a heavily marked gray throat and breast.
Conservation Status
The global population of festive coquettes is estimated at 100,000 to 1 million individuals. Their numbers are believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss in some areas, but the declines are not steep or widespread enough to trigger threatened status at this time. Festive coquettes are evaluated as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Maintaining diverse forests and flower-rich habitats will help ensure healthy festive coquette populations into the future. Supporting tropical forest conservation programs and sustainable tourism initiatives can also benefit these charismatic little hummingbirds.
In Summary
With their energetic personalities, stunning iridescent colors, and aerial courtship displays, festive coquettes provide ample excitement and joy for bird enthusiasts lucky enough to encounter them. Though small, these precious hummingbirds play an important role in pollinating tropical flowering plants. Ensuring healthy forests with diverse nectar sources is key to sustaining festive coquette populations. Their vibrancy and vitality bring life and beauty to Neotropical ecosystems. Conserving the habitats of these captivating creatures helps safeguard frosted forests filled with fascinating fliers for future generations to admire.