About Coeligena prunellei (Bourcier, 1843)
Taxonomy and Naming
Description: The black inca, scientific name Coeligena prunellei, is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighs approximately 6.6 to 7.0 g (0.23 to 0.25 oz).
Shared Morphological Traits
Both males and females have a long, straight, black bill and a white spot behind the eye.
Adult Male Plumage
Adult males have purplish black upperparts, dark metallic blue shoulders, and a black forked tail.
Adult Male Underparts
Their underparts are also dark purplish black, with an iridescent blue-green gorget and a white patch on each side of the breast.
Adult Female Morphology
Adult females are very similar in appearance to males but are duller, have a longer bill, less blue on the shoulders, and a less deeply forked tail.
Immature Traits
Immature black incas are duller than adults and do not have a gorget.
Endemic Range
Distribution and habitat: The black inca is endemic to Colombia.
Geographic Distribution
It occurs on the west slope of the Eastern Andes from southeastern Santander and western Boyacá departments, south into western Cundinamarca Department, and also on both slopes of Serranía de los Yariguíes in Santander.
Habitat Preferences
It mostly lives in the interior of humid montane forest, especially forests dominated by oaks, though males are also found in fragmented forest and other human-modified landscapes.
Elevation Range
Its elevation range is between 1,200 and 2,800 m (3,900 and 9,200 ft).
