Black Inca vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Coeligena prunellei compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Inca | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena prunellei | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.0 g (0.25 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian Pacific slope cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Black Inca
Harsh, scratchy chatter with coarse texture; series of rough notes delivered emphatically near territorial boundaries.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Inca
Endemic to the western Andes of Colombia at 1,200–2,400 m. Rare and little-known. Endangered.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black Inca
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Inca
Glowing Puffleg: tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green above; glowing green flanks; females green above; spotted
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
About These Birds
Black Inca
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia at 1,400-2,500 m. Entirely black plumage with iridescent blue shoulders, unique among hummingbirds. Nectarivore of cloud forest undergrowth. Classified as Vulnerable due to limited range.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.