Coppery-headed Emerald

How to find it

Start in cloud-forest gardens within its elevation range, where it is often seen at feeders and flowering shrubs. Guides also search flowering hedges near Arenal and Monteverde. Forest edges and gaps are good places to look, because both sexes feed at all heights there. Open spaces with trees are also worth checking. Waiting at a flowering stand can bring repeat visits by this emerald, and males sometimes gather to display, so listen for the thin twittering song.

How to recognise it

This is a tiny hummingbird, about 7.5 cm long and about 3 g. Both sexes share the same bill: moderately curved, with a pinkish base to the lower half.

The male:

- dull coppery crown

- bright coppery rump and upper tail

- green body

- outer tail feathers white, dark near the tip

The female:

- green above

- white belly

- coppery tones limited to the rump and upper tail

One regional detail is worth knowing. Males in the far northern Cordillera de Guanacaste have a purple spot in the middle of the chest, while males elsewhere in Costa Rica lack it.

Behaviour and diet

In the forest interior, males mostly stay in the canopy and females in the understory. At forest edges and gaps, both sexes feed at all heights on small flowers.

In the breeding season, small groups of males gather at lek sites, where they sing together and chase each other. Otherwise it is usually found alone, in forest and at forest edges.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it lives in the edges and interior of moist to humid montane forest. It also uses pastures with trees, second growth and shaded coffee plantations.

In the Cordillera de Guanacaste and Cordillera de Tilarán it occurs at about 1,200 to 1,500 m, and on the Caribbean slope at about 600 to 1,500 m. In the far north it also occurs on the Pacific slope. After breeding, most birds move down the slopes to about 300 to 600 m.

When to see it

Breeding is described as lasting from October to March, which is the best time to watch males at their leks. After breeding, birds move lower and become easier to reach from mid-elevation cloud forests.

Similar birds

The clearly downcurved bill separates it from the White-tailed Emerald, a close relative that lives in a different area. That species is found in southern Costa Rica, for example at Wilson Botanical Garden. A Costa Rican source says the bill shape and the very white tail feathers are enough to identify the Coppery-headed.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Rican and Spanish sources also call it esmeralda capirotada and esmeralda de cabeza dorada, besides the AOCR name Esmeralda de Coronilla Cobriza. Costa Ricans often call hummingbirds in general gorriones or gurriones.

Status and conservation

The AOCR lists it as a resident endemic (R-END), and the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, with a stable population of at least 20,000 mature birds that is fairly common in many protected areas.

Photography tips

Forest edges and semi-open clearings give better photo conditions than dense canopy. Early morning visits to flowering shrubs help, and early morning and late afternoon give soft light. Its small size and fast movement call for fast shutter speeds. The male's copper crown is highly reflective, so side-lighting brings out its iridescence.