Brown Inca vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Coeligena wilsoni compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brown Inca | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena wilsoni | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.3 cm (5.6 in) | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 6.88 g (0.24 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian and Ecuadorian cloud forest; defends Ericaceae territories. Supplements with small arthropods. | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Brown Inca
Bright, musical rolling trill; cheerful bubbly notes cascading pleasantly from flowering shrub in Andean valley.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brown Inca
Found on the Pacific slope and western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador at 700–2,000 m. Fairly common.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Brown Inca
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Brown Inca
Turquoise-mantled Puffleg: males with iridescent turquoise mantle; metallic green above; white leg puffs; females green above; spots
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Brown Inca
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) found in cloud forests of the western Andes from Colombia to Ecuador at 800-2,200 m. Dark brown plumage with rufous wing patches. Nectarivore of Chocó cloud forest undergrowth. Closely related to Bronzy Inca.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
A remarkable hummingbird (14-15 cm body) with a bill as long as its body (8-10 cm), the longest bill relative to body size of any bird. Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 1,700-3,500 m. The extraordinarily long bill evolved to feed on deep tubular Passiflora flowers.