The frilled coquette is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Brazil.
Region
Eastern and Southeastern Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs mainly in the Atlantic Forest biome, frequenting forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth. It also uses gardens, parks, cacao and shade-coffee plantations where nectar plants are abundant. The species ranges locally inland into gallery forests and flowery cerrado edges. It follows seasonal blooms, shifting among patches of flowering trees and shrubs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
One of the tiniest hummingbirds, the frilled coquette is famed for the male’s striking rufous crest and iridescent throat ‘frill’. It often visits flowering trees alongside larger hummingbirds and deftly avoids them with quick, darting flights. Males perform hovering displays to show off their ornate plumes. Despite its small size, it aggressively defends rich nectar sources.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
hovering with very rapid wingbeats; agile, darting sallies
Social Behavior
Typically solitary when feeding but may gather loosely at prolific flowering trees. Males court by hovering and fanning the throat plumes in close display flights. The female builds a tiny cup nest camouflaged with lichens and alone incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched tsee and tseet notes, often given while hovering. The wingbeats produce a distinct buzzy hum near flowers. Displays may include soft chips and rapid trills.
Plumage
Male with iridescent green upperparts, a rufous crest, and a spangled, projecting throat frill; underparts pale with green spotting. Female lacks crest and frill, green above with buffy underparts lightly spangled. Both sexes show a contrasting white rump band typical of coquettes.
Diet
Feeds primarily on nectar from tubular flowers, especially small blossoms that suit its short bill. It visits a variety of native and ornamental plants and also takes minute insects and spiders for protein. Insects are captured by hawking from a perch or gleaned from foliage.
Preferred Environment
Most often forages at forest edges, second growth, and in gardens and plantations with abundant flowers. It favors flowering trees and shrubs at canopy gaps and along sunny borders.
