Observations on the Breeding Biology of Bronzy Inca (coeligena Coeligena) in Northeastern Ecuador

Resumen

We observed care of two nestlings of the Bronzy Inca (Coeligena coeligena), at an altitude of 2050 m, 5 km west from Cosanga (Napo Province) in Ecuador. The nest was built 1.2 m up in the vertical fork of a small sapling inside mature forest. The clutch (two eggs) was completed around 15 November 2007. We describe adult behavior and parental care during 15 days of observations began the day after hatching and ended upon fledging, 22 days after both eggs hatched synchronously. Daily feeding rates ranged from 1.1 to 2.0 visits per hour. Provisioning visits were rather evenly distributed during the day. The number of feeding visits/h did not change significantly with nestling age, and the mean (of daily means) interval between visits was 40.2 ± 7.19 min. The female spent 9-55 s (mean of daily means = 28.4 ± 6.83 s) per visit feeding. Average feeding durations became significantly shorter with nestling age. One to three-day- old nestlings were brooded during > 50% of the day and, after day 5, brooding diminished sharply. There was a significant negative correlation between nestling age and time devoted to brooding. Accepted 23 August 2008.