Coeligena prunellei
The Black Inca (*Coeligena prunellei*) is a striking, medium-sized hummingbird endemic to the cloud forests of the Eastern Andes of Colombia. Males measure approximately 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) in length and weigh about 7-8 grams. Its plumage is predominantly sooty black or very dark brown, contrasting sharply with a brilliant, iridescent violet-blue throat patch (gorget) and a deep blue crown. A small but distinctive white postocular spot and conspicuous white leg tufts aid in identificati...
Found in subtropical and temperate cloud forests, forest borders, and secondary growth within its narrow range, typically at elevations between 1,400 and 2,700 meters (4,600-8,900 feet).
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, particularly those with long, tubular corollas, supplemented by small insects and spiders caught by hawking or gleaning.
Black Incas are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging for nectar and insects. They employ a 'traplining' foraging strategy, visiting a regular circuit of favored flowering plants within their territory. Males are territorial, especially around prime nectar sources, aggressively chasing a...
The Black Inca is strictly endemic to the Eastern Andes of Colombia, found exclusively on the western slope of the Cordillera Oriental. Its distribution spans across departments such as Santander, Boyacá, and Cundinamarca, particularly around the Bogotá plateau. This species is non-migratory and ...
Vulnerable
- The Black Inca is one of only a handful of entirely dark-plumaged hummingbirds in the world. - It is an 'endemic' species, meaning it is found exclusively in a small region of Colombia and nowhere else. - Its scientific name, *prunellei*, honors the Belgian ornithologist Édouard Prunelle. - Des...