The coppery-headed emerald is a small hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Costa Rica.
Region
Central America
Typical Environment
Endemic to Costa Rica’s volcanic and Talamancan highlands, mainly on the Caribbean slope but also locally on the Pacific slope. It favors humid montane forest edges, secondary growth, and clearings with abundant flowering shrubs and trees. The species is common in gardens, coffee farms, and along streams where nectar sources are concentrated. It forages from the understory to mid-canopy and often visits hummingbird feeders in highland settlements.
Altitude Range
700–2000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This tiny hummingbird is one of the few bird species found only in Costa Rica. Males are instantly recognized by their brilliant coppery crown and glittering green body. It readily visits garden feeders in highland towns and vigorously defends rich flower patches. Seasonal upslope and downslope movements often track blooming cycles.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile hovering
Social Behavior
Typically solitary away from rich nectar sources, where it becomes strongly territorial and chases intruders. Courtship involves fast chases and display flights around flowering shrubs. The nest is a tiny cup of plant fibers and moss bound with spider silk, placed on a sheltered horizontal twig.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are high, thin chips and rapid twitters given during foraging and disputes. The song is a soft, hurried series of high-pitched tsee-tsee-tsee notes, often interspersed with sharp call notes. Wing hum is audible at close range.
Plumage
Male with glittering coppery-bronze crown and face, bright emerald-green upperparts and underparts, and a dusky tail with slight whitish edging. Female shows green upperparts with grayish-white underparts lightly mottled with green on the sides and a darker tail with neat white tips. Both sexes have a small white post-ocular spot and satin-like iridescence typical of emerald hummingbirds.
Diet
Primarily feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowering shrubs and trees, including canopy and edge species. It supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, taken by hawking or gleaning, which provide essential proteins. Individuals often defend productive flower patches and also visit artificial feeders.
Preferred Environment
Most often feeds at forest edges, gardens, and secondary growth where flowers are abundant. Also forages along stream corridors and in coffee farms with shade trees and flowering hedges.
