Microchera albocoronata
The Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata) is a diminutive and striking hummingbird, measuring approximately 6.5 cm (2.6 inches) in length and weighing a mere 2.3 grams (0.08 oz). Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant, iridescent white crown contrasting sharply with their otherwise velvety black body and short, straight black bill. Females, in contrast, are more subtly attired, exhibiting an iridescent green back, a dusky grayish-green throat, and a white belly with green flanks, lac...
This species primarily inhabits the middle and upper strata of humid evergreen forests, forest edges, and often plantations, typically found at elevations ranging from 300 to 1400 meters.
Snowcaps feed primarily on nectar gathered from a variety of small flowers, often including those of mistletoe, supplemented by small arthropods like insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Snowcaps are diurnal and generally solitary hummingbirds, spending their days actively foraging. They employ a "trap-lining" feeding strategy, visiting a regular circuit of scattered flowers for nectar, and also hover to snatch small arthropods from foliage or the air. Males are territorial, vigo...
The Snowcap is a resident species found in disjunct populations across Central America, primarily inhabiting the humid evergreen forests of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its distribution is somewhat patchy, favoring both Caribbean and Pacific slopes where suitable forest habitat ex...
Least Concern
- The male Snowcap's dazzling white crown can appear to glow in the dim light of the forest understory, an incredible visual adaptation. - Weighing about as much as two paper clips, the Snowcap is one of the smallest hummingbirds in its Central American range. - Despite its small size, the Snowca...