Coeligena conradii
The Green Inca (Coeligena conradii) is a dazzling medium-sized hummingbird, measuring approximately 10.5 to 11.5 cm in length with a relatively long, straight black bill of about 3 cm. Males are resplendent, exhibiting an iridescent grass-green plumage over most of their body, brilliantly contrasted by a glittering violet-blue gorget and a prominent white post-ocular spot, leading to a broad white band across the upper breast. Their deeply forked tail is dark, often appearing blackish. Female...
Found primarily in humid montane cloud forests, forest borders, and secondary growth within its high-elevation Andean range, typically between 1,500 and 3,000 meters above sea level.
Primarily feeds on nectar extracted from a variety of flowering plants with long, tubular corollas, including species from the Ericaceae and Gesneriaceae families; also gleans small insects and spiders from foliage or captures them in flight for protein.
The Green Inca is a diurnal and primarily solitary hummingbird, active throughout the day foraging for nectar and insects. Males often defend flower-rich territories, engaging in aggressive chases and aerial displays to ward off rivals or other hummingbird species. Their foraging strategy frequen...
The Green Inca is an endemic resident of the Eastern Andes mountain range, with its distribution split between Colombia and extreme western Venezuela. In Colombia, it is primarily found in the departments of Santander, Boyacá, and Cundinamarca, particularly along the eastern slopes of the Cordill...
Least Concern
- The Green Inca's scientific name, *Coeligena conradii*, honors Conrad Loges, an amateur ornithologist. - Like all hummingbirds, the Green Inca possesses an incredibly high metabolism, requiring them to feed almost constantly throughout the day. - Its iridescent gorget and green plumage are not ...