Common throughout their range, this species is a denizen of a variety of habitats in central eastern Brazil—humid forest edges, secondary growth, coffee plantations, and cerrado. It is the smallest Brazilian species of hummingbird. It presents marked sexual dimorphism. Male Frilled Coquettes boast a long, rufous crest and a beautiful fan of white feathers on each side of the neck that end in a green stripe that turns black at the tip. Both sexes have a light rump band. The female does not have a red topknot or fan on her neck, she has a white throat mottled with cinnamon and a less intensely red beak and white belly. They feed on both arthropods and nectar and may exhibit seasonal movements after the breeding and flowering seasons.
