The Story
I photographed this Bronzy Inca (Coeligena coeligena) at the Recinto del Pensamiento in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. Besides nectar, it catches small arthropods in flight and by hover-gleaning. It builds a cup nest of moss and plant fibers, usually 1 to 1.5 meters above the ground and well hidden. Males have a long, straight black bill, and the female’s bill is even longer. The reserve’s trails pass a hummingbird viewpoint, a butterfly house, an orchid forest and the Pabellón Zeri, built of guadua and regional woods. IUCN lists the Bronzy Inca as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. The reserve belongs to the Comité Departamental de Cafeteros de Caldas and is run by the Corporación para el Desarrollo de Caldas to promote nature tourism in Manizales.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Bronzy Inca (Coeligena coeligena) belongs to the family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List