Black Inca vs Allen's Hummingbird

Coeligena prunellei compared with Selasphorus sasin

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Black Inca Allen's Hummingbird
Scientific Name Coeligena prunellei Selasphorus sasin
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 16.0 cm (6.3 in) 8.1 cm (3.2 in)
Weight 7.0 g (0.25 oz) 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of Colombian Pacific slope cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Black Inca only

None

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Black Inca

Song

Harsh, scratchy chatter with coarse texture; series of rough notes delivered emphatically near territorial boundaries.

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.

Geographic Range & Migration

Black Inca

Endemic to the western Andes of Colombia at 1,200–2,400 m. Rare and little-known. Endangered.

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Black Inca

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

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.

Allen's Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.

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