Collared Inca
Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)
Name Origin:
The genus name Coeligena comes from Latin coelum meaning “heaven” and -gena meaning “born of,” referencing the dazzling, celestial colors of these high-Andean hummingbirds. The species name torquata derives from Latin torques, meaning “collar” — a direct reference to the bird’s distinctive white neck band.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in)
⚖️ Weight: 6.5–7.5 g (0.23–0.26 oz)
🌎 Range: Andes from Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
🧭 Elevation: 1,800–3,200 m (5,900–10,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Cloud forest, humid montane forest, and forest edge
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini “Brilliants” (Andean forest hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
1. Coeligena torquata torquata (Collared)
Distribution: Andes of northwestern Venezuela (Táchira) through Colombia and eastern Ecuador to northern Peru (eastern Piura).
2. Coeligena torquata fulgidigula
Distribution: Occurs on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador, extending south to Chimborazo.
3. Coeligena torquata margaretae
Distribution: Found on the eastern slope of the Andes of northern Peru, from central Amazonas to eastern La Libertad and San Martín.
4. Coeligena torquata insectivora
Distribution: Occupies the eastern slope of central Peru, from Huánuco south to Ayacucho.
5. Coeligena torquata eisenmanni (Vilcabamba)
Distribution: Restricted to southern Peru, in the Cordillera Vilcabamba.
Species Overview
The Collared Inca is among the most regal hummingbirds of the Andes, often seen hovering around mossy forest edges or perching quietly in the shade of cloud forest understory. Its luminous green plumage, white chest band, and dark hood make it unmistakable. Though common and widely distributed, its subspecies show regional color variations, particularly in throat and crown iridescence.
Male Description:
The male has velvety black upperparts and head, a bright white collar and chest, and shimmering metallic green lower underparts. The tail is bronze to purplish-black with white undertail coverts, and the bill is long, straight, and black. In some subspecies (e.g., fulgidigula), the throat may show a bluish or violet iridescent patch. Males often perch upright and motionless for long periods, flashing their iridescence when light shifts.
Female Description:
The female is similar but duller, with a grayish throat washed with green, and less crisp contrast between the collar and chest. Her underparts are more mottled, and the iridescence is less intense overall.
Habitat & Behavior:
This species inhabits humid montane and cloud forests, most commonly along the Andean slopes between 1,800 and 3,200 meters. It feeds on nectar from Fuchsia, Bomarea, Besleria, and Palicourea, as well as small insects. The Collared Inca is generally solitary and territorial, using prominent perches to defend flower patches. It hovers with steady, powerful wingbeats and produces a faint buzzing sound during flight.
Conservation Note:
The Collared Inca is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its wide distribution and stable populations. It remains common throughout the northern Andes and is frequently seen in protected montane reserves such as Yanacocha (Ecuador), El Dorado (Colombia), and Abra Patricia (Peru). Local threats include deforestation and habitat fragmentation, but its adaptability to forest edges and secondary growth has helped maintain stable populations. Continued protection of Andean cloud forest corridors will ensure the persistence of this radiant Heliantheini hummingbird.
Below is the Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata torquata)
Photographed in Reserva Ecológica Río Blanco, Caldas, and Manaure, Cesar, Colombia
These individuals belong to the nominate subspecies torquata, which is widespread in the Colombian Andes. In both the Central Andes near Río Blanco and the Eastern Andes in the Manaure region, the species occupies humid montane forest, forest edge, and high elevation shrub zones.
Below is the Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata margaretae)
Photographed in Amazonas, Peru
This individual belongs to the subspecies margaretae, which occurs in the eastern Andean slopes of Peru. In this region, the species inhabits humid montane forest and cloud forest edge where it forages among tubular flowers and flowering shrubs.
