An emerald-green hummingbird lost to science reemerges in Colombia
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Loading... - Ivanka Dimova
- 09 Sep 2022
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1. In the Santa Marta mountains of Colombia, an experienced bird-watcher unexpectedly spotted a Santa Marta sabrewing hummingbird.
2. This was only the second time the critically endangered hummingbird has had a documented sighting since 1946. The last bird was spotted in 2010, and the species had long been considered “lost to science.”
3. Ornithologists have been on high alert for the Santa Marta sabrewing, which is listed as one of the top 10 most-wanted lost birds by the Search for Lost Birds.
4. Only around 15% of forests in the Santa Marta mountains are still standing, and the Santa Marta sabrewing was found in an area of forest with no protection. Experts are calling for more study and protection of this rare bird.
In the mountains of Colombia, an experienced bird-watcher saw an iridescent flash of blue and green. “A hummingbird caught my attention. I got out my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta sabrewing,” Yurgen Vega said. “This sighting was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one.”
This was only the second time the critically endangered hummingbird has had a documented sighting since 1946. The last bird was spotted in 2010.
“It’s like seeing a phantom,” said John C. Mittermeier, director of threatened species outreach at the American Bird Conservancy.
Vega who found the bird while working with the conservation organizations Selva, ProCAT Colombia and the World Parrot Trust to survey endemic birds in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region, spotted the male Santa Marta sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus) and identified it on sight by its green feathers, iridescent blue throat and black curved bill.
“When I first saw the hummingbird I immediately thought of the Santa Marta sabrewing. I couldn’t believe it was waiting there for me to take out my camera and start shooting,” Vega told The Guardian. “I was almost convinced it was the species, but because I felt so overcome by emotion, I preferred to be cautious; it could’ve been the Lazuline sabrewing [Campylopterus falcatus], which is often confused with Santa Marta sabrewing. But once we saw the pictures, we knew it was true.”
Ornithologists have been on high alert for the Santa Marta sabrewing, which is listed as one of the top 10 most-wanted lost birds by the Search for Lost Birds, a collaboration between Re:wild, the American Bird Conservancy and BirdLife International. None of the most-wanted birds have had a documented sighting in the wild in at least 10 years, and all (now with the exception of the sabrewing) are considered lost to science. Many of these lost birds are native to areas rich in biodiversity that also urgently need protection and conservation efforts. Read More...
