Brown Inca vs Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Coeligena wilsoni compared with Nesophlox lyrura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brown Inca | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena wilsoni | Nesophlox lyrura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.3 cm (5.6 in) | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 6.88 g (0.24 oz) | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian and Ecuadorian cloud forest; defends Ericaceae territories. Supplements with small arthropods. | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 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.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brown Inca
Found on the Pacific slope and western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador at 700–2,000 m. Fairly common.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Conservation Status
Brown Inca
Lyre-tailed 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
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
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.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.