Coeligena coeligena
The Bronzy Inca, *Coeligena coeligena*, is a medium-sized hummingbird, typically measuring 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches) in length and weighing 6-10 grams. Its most striking feature is its overall iridescent bronzy-copper plumage, which can appear dark brown or black in poor light but shimmers brilliantly under direct sunlight. Key field marks include a relatively straight, medium-length black bill, a distinct white post-ocular spot situated behind the eye, and a long, forked black tail. Taxonomi...
Primarily found in humid montane and subtropical forests, cloud forests, and forest edges, typically at elevations between 1,500 and 3,000 meters, occasionally ranging lower or higher.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of long-tubed flowers, supplementing its diet with small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
Bronzy Incas are diurnal and highly active feeders, often engaging in "trap-lining" – following a regular circuit to visit dispersed flower patches. They are notably territorial, aggressively defending rich feeding sites against other hummingbirds and even larger insects, using sharp chirps and s...
The Bronzy Inca is widely distributed throughout the Andes Mountains of South America, primarily as a resident species. Its range extends from the extreme western parts of Venezuela, through the three Andean cordilleras of Colombia, across both slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru, and south i...
Least Concern
- The Bronzy Inca's genus, *Coeligena*, is derived from Latin, meaning "heaven-born," referring to the birds' dazzling, iridescent colors. - Like all hummingbirds, its tongue is grooved and fringed, acting as a capillary pump to draw nectar into its mouth, rather than a simple straw. - It can bea...