Inca Verde
Green Inca
Coeligena conradii
Song
Green Inca
Appearance: The Green Inca is a medium-sized hummingbird with striking iridescent plumage. It has a vibrant green body, with a shimmering quality that can appear different depending on light. It often features a contrasting color on its throat or breast, such as a patch of white or iridescent blue. The tail is long and slightly forked, and the bill is slender and adapted for feeding on nectar.
Habitat: This species is commonly found in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It prefers habitats with abundant flowering plants, which provide the primary food source for hummingbirds. The Green Inca can also be found in forest edges and clearings, where flowers are plentiful.
Behavior: Green Incas are known for their agility and speed of hummingbirds. They are nectarivorous, feeding on the nectar of various flowers, but they also consume small insects and spiders for protein. Hummingbirds, including the Green Inca, are characterized by their rapid wing beats, allowing them to hover in place while feeding. They are territorial and often defend their feeding areas aggressively from other hummingbirds.
Breeding: The breeding behavior of the Green Inca involves courtship displays where males perform aerial maneuvers to attract females. Once a pair is formed, the female builds the nest alone. The nest is a small cup made of plant fibers and spider silk, moss or lichen. The female lays two eggs and is responsible for incubating them and feeding the chicks once they hatch.
Conservation Status: As of the latest assessments, the Green Inca is not considered to be at significant risk of extinction.
MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
The Green Inca is found in the northeastern Andean regions. Specifically, in the departments of Norte de Santander, and in northwestern Boyacá where the appropriate montane forest habitats exist. Colombia's diverse topography and climate provide a rich environment for various hummingbird species, including the Green Inca.
Taxonomy
The Green Inca (Coeligena conradii)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Coeligena
- Species: Coeligena conradii
Vocalization
Chirps and Tweets: These are short, high-pitched sounds used for communication between individuals during mating or territorial displays.
Trills and Buzzes: These sounds can be more complex and are often used by males during courtship displays to attract females.
Calls: Hummingbirds may use specific calls to signal alarm or to communicate with their chicks or mates.
Wing and Tail Sounds: Although not vocalizations per se, the rapid beating of their wings and the movement of their tail feathers can produce sounds that are often part of their communication repertoire.
For the Green Inca hummingbird vocalizations are a crucial part of their behavior, especially in dense forest environments where visibility is limited.
