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Photo: © Nigel Voaden eBird S18426320 Macaulay Library ML 56776941
brown-inca

Brown Inca

Coeligena wilsoni
Inca Pardo
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Song

Brown Inca

Appearance: The Brown Inca is a medium-sized hummingbird, measuring around 11 cm in length. It has brown plumage. The upperparts are a dark brown, while the underparts tend to be slightly lighter. It has a slightly decurved bill and a white post-ocular spot behind the eye. The throat and upper chest may have a subtle iridescent sheen in certain lighting conditions.
Habitat: The Brown Inca is found in humid montane forests, including cloud forests. It prefers elevations between 700 and 2,200 m. It thrives in dense, moist environments with abundant flowering plants, which provide nectar, its primary food source.
Behavior: The Brown Inca feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants. It consumes small insects and spiders for protein. It is known to be territorial often defending feeding areas aggressively from other hummingbirds. The Brown Inca exhibits the characteristic rapid and agile flight of hummingbirds capable of hovering and making swift maneuvers.
Breeding: The species builds cup-shaped nests made from plant fibers and spider webs, often situated on a branch or ledge. The female is  responsible for incubating the eggs and caring for the young. Clutch size is usually two eggs.
Conservation Status: The Brown Inca is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. 

Distribution

The Brown Inca is found along the western and central Andes. Its range extends from the department of Nariño in the south, through the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and into Antioquia, Chocó, and Risaralda.

Taxonomy

The Brown Inca (Coeligena Wilson)
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves (Birds)
  • Order: Caprimulgiformes
  • Family: Trochilidae
  • Genus: Coeligena
  • Species: Coeligena wilsoni

Vocalization

The Brown Inca hummingbird is a species found in the cloud forests of the Andes of Colombia. The Brown Inca uses vocalizations as part of its communication repertoire. Detailed studies specifically about its vocal patterns are limited.
The Brown Inca may produce non-vocal sounds through wing and tail feather vibrations, which can be used in communication.
The vocalizations are often described as high-pitched and rapid, consisting of chirps, whistles, and trills. For the Brown Inca, its vocalizations might include a series of sharp, metallic chips or a repetitive series of notes. These sounds can be quite subtle and may vary between individuals or regions.