Birds of the Botanic Gardens

Antillean Crested Hummingbird: Orthorhyncus cristatus; Local name: Fou-fou, Ti-kap, Syoun;
Family: Trochilidae

​Description: About 8.5-9.5 cm long (3.3-3.8 in); is the smallest and most common Hummingbird in the island; plumage, viewed from above, is green in both male and female; tail and underparts of male are blackish, while that of female is greyish with whitish tail feather tips; species easily recognized by small size and conspicuous green or green and blue crest of male, hence local name, Ti-kap, a derivation of the French “petit” or little cap, and the source of its common name, “Crested” Hummingbird; has relatively short, straight bill and feeds on nectar and small insects; while the smallest species of bird in the island, it often exhibits aggressive behaviour, and will attack “other birds many times its size such as the Broad-winged Hawk, the Kingfishers and the Grey Kingbird”; can be seen variously throughout the Gardens darting from flower to flower.

References:
Arlington James, Stephen Durand and Bertrand Jno.Baptiste. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005
Chloe. Hummingbirds of the Caribbean. (mschloe.com), Paso Robles, CA n.d