Taxonomic status of the coquette hummingbird of Guerrero, Mexico

An isolated population of small hummingbirds in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, was originally named as a subspecies (brachylopha) of the much more southerly Lophornis delattrei, the Rufous-crested Coquette (Moore 1949). The form was not reported again until rediscovered by Ornelas (1987) and remains known by only three male and two female specimens. Examination of two of the males indicates that the population deserves specific status as Lophornis brachylopha Moore, for which I propose the English name Shortcrested Coquette.