“This rediscovery is tremendous, and it makes me hopeful that we will start to better understand this mysterious and threatened bird,” said Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, Director of Conservation Science with SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics. It is also an Alliance for Zero Extinction site due to the multiple species there that are found nowhere else. It partially overlaps with five Key Biodiversity Areas: sites of global importance to the planet’s overall health and the persistence of biodiversity. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the world’s tallest coastal mountain massif and home to rich communities of wildlife, including 24 species of birds that are found nowhere else on the planet. The species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, though it was historically common in the southeastern part of the mountains. Researchers believe the population of Santa Marta Sabrewings in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is very small and decreasing. However, Vega did not see any other hummingbirds in the area, though there have been sporadic reports of Santa Marta Sabrewing sightings during the past decade by other local birdwatchers. It was perched on a branch, vocalizing and singing, which scientists think is a behavior associated with defending territory and courtship. The male hummingbird was instantly recognizable by its emerald-green feathers, bright iridescent-blue throat, and curved black bill. I got out my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta Sabrewing, and in an incredible stroke of luck the hummingbird perched on a branch, giving me time to take photos and video.” “As I was leaving the area where I had been working, a hummingbird caught my attention. “This sighting was a complete surprise but a very welcome one,” said Yurgen Vega, who made the rediscovery while working with SELVA, ProCAT Colombia, and World Parrot Trust to study endemic birds in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The Santa Marta Sabrewing is so rare and elusive that it was included as one of the top 10 most wanted lost birds by the Search for Lost Birds. The last time was in 2010, when researchers captured the first-ever photos of the species in the wild. It’s only the second time the species has had a documented sighting since it was first collected in 1946. Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Print this Article Share to EmailĪn experienced local birdwatcher in Colombia recently rediscovered the Santa Marta Sabrewing ( Campylopterus phainopeplus), a relatively large hummingbird only found in the country’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.