Black-crested Coquette
Lophornis helenae
The black-crested coquette is 6.3 to 7.7 cm (2.5 to 3.0 in) long with an average weight of 2.6 to 2.8 g (0.092 to 0.099 oz). The adult male has a dark metallic green crown with a wispy greenish black crest. The nape and back are metallic bronze green; a white band separates the back from the sooty blackish rump and uppertail coverts. The central tail feathers are dull greenish bronze between their cinnamon rufous bases and dusky ends. The outer tail feathers are cinnamon rufous. The chin and upper throat are metallic yellowish green with a velvety black band below. Voice: The black-crested coquette is usually silent. A vocalization thought to be its song is "a clear, upslurred tsuwee, repeated". It has also been reported making a "thin, high twittering when fighting and a quiet, slightly metallic teek when feeding".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rufous-crested Coquette
Lophornis delattrei
Rufous-Crested Coquettes are of 6.4 cm to 7.0 cm in length, have a wingspan of 4.0 cm to 4.5 cm, and have weigh an average of 2.8g. This species has a short orange bill that ends in a sharp blackened point. Its back and stomach is a light iridescent green. A band of white feathers crosses the rump, and brown, orange, and green tail feathers extend posteriorly from it. The adult male has a crest of slender and rigid black tipped rufous feathers, that extend dorsally from its rufous coloured head feathers. Voice: Rufous-crested coquettes are primarily silent, however, they have been recorded to make a sharp "tsip" noise when foraging on nectar, as well as soft chipping sounds. Their rapid wingbeats produce a quiet humming sound when in flight.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-crested Coquette and Rufous-crested Coquette.