Brown Inca

Coeligena wilsoni

Hummingbirds · Apodiformes · Uncommon

The Brown Inca (Coeligena wilsoni) is a uncommon hummingbird found in 2 countries, weighing about 7 g. The brown inca is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae.

Least ConcernUncommonEats nectarforestcup nest7 g

About the Brown Inca

The brown inca is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The brown inca is about 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) long. Males weigh about 7.0 g (0.25 oz) and females about 6.5 g (0.23 oz). Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill and a white spot behind the eye. Adult males' upperparts are reddish bronze with a greenish olive lower back and a bronzy forked tail. Their underparts are mostly dull brown with an amethyst gorget and a white patch on each side of the breast. Adult females are essentially the same as males but for a longer bill, a smaller gorget, and a less forked tail. Immatures resemble the adult female. Voice: What is thought to be the brown inca's song is "a repeated phrase comprising three notes, 'tsip-tzreeew-tzrew'". It has a variety of calls such as "tsit" and "tsi-tsit" notes and a "tsitsitsitsitsit…tsitsitsi...tsitsitsit..." series. In flight it utters "a short rattle 'trrr', short twitters... a high-pitched 'tzree...tzee...tzee...tzee'."

Where it lives

When to see it

The Brown Inca can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Brown Inca?
The brown inca is about 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Brown Inca?
The Brown Inca is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
Where can you see a Brown Inca?
The Brown Inca occurs in 2 countries, including Ecuador and Colombia.
What birds look similar to a Brown Inca?
The Brown Inca is most easily confused with the Buff-winged Starfrontlet, the Bronzy Inca and the Violet-throated Starfrontlet.
Is the Brown Inca endangered?
The Brown Inca is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Brown Inca for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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