Microchera albocoronata (Lawrence, 1855)

Size and Weight

The snowcap hummingbird, Microchera albocoronata (Lawrence, 1855), is 6.5 to 7 cm (2.6 to 2.8 in) long and weighs approximately 2.7 g (0.095 oz). Both sexes of both recognized subspecies have a short black bill and black legs.

Adult Male Nominate Plumage

Adult males of both subspecies have a white forehead and crown, the feature that gives the species both its English common name and scientific name. Nominate subspecies males have dark purple upperparts, a purplish black nape, and a reddish gloss on the back, rump, and uppertail coverts. Their face and underparts are black with a reddish purple gloss, their central tail feathers are metallic bronze, and the remaining tail feathers have white bases and black ends.

Adult Male parvirostris Plumage

Males of the other subspecies, M. a. parvirostris, differ from the nominate by having less white on the tail feathers, and a brighter coppery purple gloss on both their upper- and underparts.

Adult Female Plumage

Adult females of both subspecies have a metallic green back with bronze uppertail coverts, pale grayish white underparts, bronze central tail feathers, and outer tail feathers that are mostly black with white at the base and on the tips.

Immature Male Plumage

Immature males resemble adult females, but add a narrow white line above the eye, and their whitish underparts gradually change to purplish black.

parvirostris Subspecies Distribution

Of the two subspecies, M. a. parvirostris is the more northerly and widely distributed. It occurs on the Caribbean slope of Central America from southern Honduras through Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and possibly into western Panama; it is also found locally on Costa Rica's Pacific slope.

Nominate Subspecies Distribution

The nominate subspecies M. a. albocoronata is found on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of western Panama.

Habitat Preferences

The species inhabits humid lowland and montane forest, semi-open woodlands, and secondary forest. It is more common at forest openings and more open landscapes such as plantations than it is deep within closed forest.

Elevational Range

In Costa Rica, it mostly breeds at elevations between 300 and 800 m (980 and 2,600 ft), and occurs locally as high as 1,000 m (3,300 ft). In Panama, it is found between 600 and 1,650 m (2,000 and 5,400 ft).