Coppery-headed Emerald
Microchera cupreiceps
Small hummingbird with obviously decurved bill. Male mostly glittering green with coppery crown and bright white outer tail feathers; female similar but with white underparts. Bill shape and white outer tail feathers are enough for identification. Found in forests and edges, usually singly but males sometimes gather to display.
Identification
The coppery-headed emerald is about 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long and weighs about 3.0 to 3.3 g (0.11 to 0.12 oz). Both sexes have a moderately decurved bill whose mandible has a pinkish base. The adult male has a dull coppery bronze crown, a bronze green nape, back, and rump, and bright coppery bronze uppertail coverts. Its central pair of tail feathers are bronze, the next three pairs white with pale gray tips, and the outermost pair white with black tips. Its underparts are bright yellowish metallic green with white undertail coverts. Males in the far northern Cordillera de Guanacaste also have a purple spot in the center of the breast. The adult female has metallic green upperparts with bright somewhat coppery bronze uppertail coverts. Its central pair of tail feathers are bright bronze, the next three pairs white with a gray or dusky bar near the end, and the outermost pair white with gray or dusky tips. Its underparts are dull white to grayish white that become white at the vent area; there are also metallic green spots along the flanks. The immature male is similar to the adult but duller and has black tips on all tail feathers except the central pair.
Taxonomy
The coppery-headed emerald was formerly placed with the white-tailed emerald (M. chionura) in the genus Elvira. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that these two species were closely related to the snowcap in the then-monospecific genus Microchera. The International Ornithological Committee and the Clements taxonomy placed the three species together in Microchera which has priority. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains them in Elvira.<p>The coppery-tailed emerald is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Microchera cupreiceps
- Authority
- (Lawrence, 1866)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Microchera
Range and habitat
The coppery-headed emerald is found in the highlands of northern and central Costa Rica. In most of its range it is found on the Caribbean slope but in the far north is also found on the Pacific slope. It inhabits the edges and interior of moist to humid montane forest. In the forest interior males are often found in the canopy and females in the understory but both occur at all levels at the edges and in semi-open areas like clearings. In elevation it ranges from 300 to 1,500 m (980 to 4,900 ft) on the Caribbean slope but on the Pacific side is seldom found below about 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Following breeding the coppery-headed emerald moves to the lower parts of its elevational range.<p>The coppery-headed emerald forages for nectar at a wide variety of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees; examples include those of genera Besleria, Cavendishia, Clusia, Guarea, Pithecellobium, Quararibea, Satyria, and Inga. In addition to nectar, it gleans small arthropods from foliage and captures them by hawking from a perch.<p>The coppery-headed emerald's breeding season extends from October to March and may vary within that window from year to year. Males court females at leks in small groups, singing from a perch and chasing other males. Females construct a small cup nest of plant down and tree fern scales bound with spiderweb with some moss and lichen on the outside. It is typically placed between 1 and 3 m (3 and 10 ft) above the ground in the understory or along an edge. The clutch size is two eggs; the incubation period and time to fledging are not known.<p>The coppery-headed emerald's song is a "high, thin, twittering and warbling." Its call has been described as "a high, thin, liquid quip or quit or rapid high sputtering in chases."
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gough Island Finch
Rowettia goughensis
A large striking finch with a dagger-like bill and different looking sexes. Male is mostly olive with a black throat and yellow eye-ring and moustache; female is brownish and lacks the black throat. Juvenile similar to female but heavily streaked. A critically endangered species endemic to Gough Island, where it is the only songbird; pairs and family groups are widespread on the island, preferring areas above 300 meters of elevation. Male sings a high-pitched whistle, while female answers with a chatter.
Green-tailed Warbler
Microligea palustris
Secretive, found in montane thickets and scrub, typically in or near forests. Usually solitary and rarely found in mixed feeding flocks. Soft gray of body and head contrast sharply with olive-green back and wings. It is similar to White-winged Warbler, but is gray rather than white below, has red eyes, and lacks white on the tail and wings. Song is a series of loud, sharp “tsip” notes. Calls include loud squeaky notes and raspy scolds.
Black Fantail
Rhipidura atra
A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of montane forest undergrowth. The female is all rufous-brown, rufous tail and dark edging to the wing feathers. Male is very similar to Fan-tailed Monarch, but Black Fantail has a short white eyebrow and lacks the white side stripe. It also has a black and yellow bill. Female is similar to Dimorphic Fantail but larger, brighter rufous with black central tail feathers. Voice, a high-pitch, up-and-down “pluk plik pluk plik!”. Also a high-pitch jumbled warble ending in a loud “wichoo wichoo!”.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.