Coeligena torquata
The Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata) is a striking medium-sized hummingbird, instantly recognizable by its iridescent plumage and prominent white neck collar. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5-5.5 inches) in length and weighing 7-10 grams, its body is predominantly emerald green, contrasted by a distinct velvety-black chest band situated just below its namesake white gorget. Males typically display a more intense green, while females often have a broader, slightly less defined white colla...
Found primarily in humid montane and cloud forests, ranging from forest interior to edges and secondary growth, often near ravines. It inhabits elevations typically between 2,000 and 3,000 meters (6,500-10,000 feet) above sea level.
Feeds primarily on nectar extracted from a variety of long-tubed flowers, especially those of *Centropogon*, *Fuchsia*, and *Passiflora*. Supplements its diet by hawking for small insects and spiders.
Collared Incas are diurnal, generally solitary birds. They employ a 'trap-lining' foraging strategy, visiting a regular circuit of flowering plants throughout the day to feed on nectar. Males are often territorial, actively defending prime flower patches from rivals and other hummingbird species ...
The Collared Inca is a resident species found exclusively in the high-altitude Andes Mountains of South America. Its distribution spans from extreme western Venezuela (specifically in the states of Táchira and Mérida) south through the three cordilleras of Colombia (Cordillera Occidental, Central...
Least Concern
- The Collared Inca's brilliant green and white plumage is structurally colored, meaning it's created by microscopic feather structures refracting light, not by pigments. - It is one of the larger species within the 'Inca' hummingbird genus (*Coeligena*), known for its robust build. - This specie...