Microchera albocoronata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The snowcap (Microchera albocoronata) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The nominate was originally described as Mellisuga albo-coronata and the other as Panychlora parvirostris.
The snowcap is 6.5 to 7 cm (2.6 to 2.8 in) long and weighs about 2.7 g (0.095 oz). Both sexes of both subspecies have a short black bill and black legs. Adult males of both subspecies have the white forehead and crown that give this species its English and scientific names. Males of the nominate subspecies have dark purple upperparts with 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 rest have white bases and black ends. Males of M. a. parvirostris differ by having less white on the tail feathers and a brighter coppery purple gloss to their upper- and underparts. Adult females of both subspecies have a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Snowcap sighting in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, based on 87 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 254th most-seen of the 375 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Snowcap in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months. That is one of Bastimentos Island National Marine Park's wettest months, with about 450 mm of rain against 160 mm in March.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Snowcap sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Snowcap sightings, Bastimentos Island National Marine Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tenorio Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%), Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Snowcap that you can see in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (about 70%), Stripe-throated Hermit (about 30%) and Violet-crowned Woodnymph (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Snowcap is recorded against all the birds logged in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (87 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
