- Orthorhyncus cristatus
Description
The included image shows a female, green above and underparts light. The male has the same green upperparts except for a blackish tail lacking the white tips seen in the female, dark gray underparts, and in addition shows a pointed crest. Seen from the front, the crest looks like a flat shield that in the right light is shiny green (northern end of range) or greenish-violet (southern end of range). Both males and females have a short straight bill. Antillean Crested Hummingbird is a small bird, about 9 cm or 3.5 inches long.
Distribution & Taxonomy
This bird is known from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles south to and including Grenada. O. c. exilis is the most widespread of four subspecies (cristatus, ornatus, and emigrans are the others). The bird is resident in all these islands, but some dispersion is possible, for example is the range in Puerto Rico increasing from the NE corner. Antillean Crested Hummingbird is the only member of its genus.
Habitat
Prefers open and semiopen areas from sea level to high into mountains. Seen more often in the lower, drier areas. The range of habitats include ornamental gardens and other cultivated areas in addition to the original scrub-forests and higher elevation wetter forest. As many hummingbirds, they augment the diet with insects. Being somewhat flexible in diet is a must in an area where Hurricanes occur somewhat regularly.
Behaviour
Is often limited to feeding from the smallest flowers available by competition with other species of hummingbirds.
