Brown Inca vs Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Coeligena wilsoni compared with Lampornis amethystinus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Brown Inca Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Scientific Name Coeligena wilsoni Lampornis amethystinus
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 14.3 cm (5.6 in) 13.1 cm (5.2 in)
Weight 6.88 g (0.24 oz) 5.6000000000000005 g (0.20 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of Colombian and Ecuadorian cloud forest; defends Ericaceae territories. Supplements with small arthropods. Nectarivore of Mexican and Central American montane pine-oak forest; visits Ericaceae and Salvia. Gleans arthropods.
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Brown Inca only

None

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Brown Inca

Song

Bright, musical rolling trill; cheerful bubbly notes cascading pleasantly from flowering shrub in Andean valley.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Song

Pure, sustained flute-like tone held steady; single clear note with barely perceptible vibrato in tropical shade.

Geographic Range & Migration

Brown Inca

Found on the Pacific slope and western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador at 700–2,000 m. Fairly common.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Found in montane forest from Mexico south through Guatemala and Honduras to El Salvador. 1,000–3,200 m.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Brown Inca

Least Concern

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

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.

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in mountain forests from Mexico to Honduras at 1,000-3,000 m. Males have an amethyst-purple throat. Nectarivore of pine-oak and cloud forest. Commonly visits feeders in Mexican highland gardens.

More Birds to Explore