Bird Guide

Buff-winged Starfrontlet vs Collared Inca

Buff-winged Starfrontlet (Coeligena lutetiae)

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Coeligena lutetiae

Tiny7 gForest

The buff-winged starfrontlet is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Males weigh 6.9 to 7.2 g (0.24 to 0.25 oz) and females about 6.6 g (0.23 oz). Both sexes have a long, black, slightly upturned bill and a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes have a forked tail though the female's is not as deeply indented as the male's. Males of the nominate subspecies has velvety black upperparts with a glittering green forehead. They have a violet gorget and the rest of the underparts are dark green. The wings are dark with a large cinnamon-buff patch and the tail is bronzy black. Voice: The buff-winged starfrontlet makes a "thin, wiry chatter with rattles", often during territorial disputes. While feeding it often repeats "a characteristic, nasal 'unk'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Buff-winged Starfrontlet
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Flight call · Pichincha: Yanacocha, Volcán Pichincha, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Don Henise · CC BY 2.0
Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)

Collared Inca

Coeligena torquata

Tiny7 gForest

10–14 centimetres (3.9–5.5 in) in length, with a rather long (3–3.5 centimetres (1.2–1.4 in)), straight, black beak. Under most lighting conditions Coeligena torquata torquata appears black except for a very large and distinctive white chest-patch. However, in ideal lighting other features can be discerned: a shimmering metallic violet forehead patch in males, white thighs, fleshy-dusky feet, shimmering green throat in males, dull and containing some white in females, and some dark green mixed in with the black of the body.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Soler97 at English Wikipedia (Original text: Tad Boniecki) · Public domain

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Buff-winged Starfrontlet and Collared Inca.