TOPETINHO-VERMELHO (AS KNOWN IN BRAZIL)

Lophornis magnificus

The Frilled Coquette is also known as the Magnificent Hummingbird in Portuguese.
It measures 2,6 inches and weighs 0,1 ounces, making it the smallest Brazilian
species of hummingbird. It features a red crown and a beautiful fan of white
feathers on its neck. Its face is black, with a green throat and anterior neck, and
grayish-green lower parts. Its upper parts are green with a cinnamon-colored tail
tipped in black. Its beak is red with a black tip.
It primarily feeds on carbohydrates obtained from flower nectar. During mating,
the male courts the female by erecting its red crown and expanding the lateral
neck tufts, moving them while performing a slow flight or hovering in front of the
female. Its nest is a shallow bowl made of soft materials such as bromeliad cotton
and xaxim fibers, among others. The nest is openly placed on a horizontal branch
or tree fork.
It inhabits clearings, small farms, and well-flowered gardens, preferring semi-
open areas and forest edges. Found exclusively in Brazil, from Pernambuco,
Alagoas, and Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, and towards the western side of Goiás
and Mato Grosso.