Brown Inca Coeligena wilsoni Scientific name definitions

Usually seen foraging alone on tubular flowers at lower levels of the cloud forest, the Brown Inca lives up to its name and appears mostly brown. It also boasts a purple throat and has distinctive white patches on each side of the chest. Brown Incas are most common in and on the edge of humid montane cloud forests of the pacific slope from 1000-1300 meters. They replace Bronzy Inca below 1800 meters

c. 11–13 cm; male c. 6·9–7 g, female c. 6·5 g. Male has long, straight, black bill; upperparts reddish-bronze, similar to C. coeligena, becoming more greenish-olive especially on lower back; white postocular spot; underparts dull brown, amethyst throat patch , white patch on each side of breast; tail bronzy, forked. Female similar to male but has longer bill and smaller throat patch, tail less forked. Immature resembles female.

Feeds on nectar of flowering epiphytic ericads such as Psammisia, Satyria, Macleania and Cavendishia, vines and Fuchsia. Arthopods are usually caught by gleaning from vegetation, occasionally by hawking. Feeds by trap-lining, in lower levels within thick undergrowth.

Possible song is a repeated phrase comprising three notes, “tsip-tzreeew-tzrew”. Calls include a strident, single “tsit” or doubled “tsi-tsit”, or longer series, “tsitsitsitsitsit…tsitsitsi...tsitsitsit...”. Also gives a short rattle “trrr”, short twitters and, in flight, a high-pitched “tzree...tzee...tzee...tzee”.

Jan–Jun. Cup-shaped nest of moss and soft seed fibre is built in fork of young tree, 2–3 m above ground. Clutch size 2; incubation 15–16 days, by female; chick black with two dorsal rows of buffy down; fledging at 22–26 days.