Critically Endangered Shimmering Hummingbird Seen in Columbia, 12 Years After Last Sighting

A scientist from Colombia who specializes in bird watching had a remarkable day. Striking emerald green and bright blue shimmering hummingbird was spotted by Yurgen Vega while he was at work in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains in July. He remembered that the striking male bird was a critically endangered Santa Marta sabrewing, which was last seen 12 years ago.

Campylopterus phainopeplus has only been recorded twice before; the first time was more than 75 years ago, and the second time wasn't until 2010.

The rediscovery was made by Vega while he was researching the local bird population. He said it was unexpected to see the shimmering hummingbird. A hummingbird caught his attention as he was about to evacuate the area where he had been working.

He pulled out his binoculars and was surprised to see that it was a Santa Marta sabrewing. In a remarkable turn of events, the hummingbird perched on a branch, giving him time to record video and take pictures.

Shimmering Hummingbird, Flashy Enough to Be Easily Recognized

ProCAT Colombia, SELVA, and the World Parrot Trust were just a few of the research and conservation organizations that Vega was collaborating with.

Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, the director of conservation science from SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics, says that really, it came as a complete surprise. In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, they were searching for other bird species that are also endemic to the region.

The colorful bird was simple to identify. It was big, with iridescent blue and emerald green feathers, and a curved black bill. About 5 inches is the largest measurement for the species' male. The ruby-throated hummingbird measures between 2.8 and 3.5 inches.

The recently rediscovered bird was simple to identify, but researchers know little about it.

According to Botero-Delgadillo, little is known about this species. The first confirmed record of it dates back to 1946, when the first Santa Maria specimens were collected, although the first description was made in the 18th century. The sabrewing was finally captured on camera once more after nearly 60 years when it happened to be discovered in a bird banding facility. After that, it took 12 years for another opportunity to re-record it.

Read also: Female Hummingbirds Look Like Males in Deceptive Mimicry, Anti-Predator Defense 

Biodiversity in Santa Maria Mountains

The hummingbird was singing when Vega came across it perched on a branch. According to researchers, birds engage in this behavior to defend their territory and engage in courtship. However, according to Vega, there were no other hummingbirds in the vicinity.

Over the past ten years or so, local birdwatchers have occasionally reported seeing Santa Marta sabrewings.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the species is becoming increasingly rare.

According to the IUCN, the birds, which are native to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, were referred to as "fairly common" at the turn of the 20th century.

The region is particularly biodiverse and is home to 24 bird species at minimum that are unique to this planet.

Botero-Delgadillo pointed out that Given the existence of perhaps hundreds of uncommon plants and animals that are found nowhere else on Earth, it is regarded as the most irreplaceable ecosystem on the planet. It is a coastal mountain range, the tallest on Earth, that has remained comparatively isolated for a very long time, leading to the emergence of an unprecedented number of unique species. It is the world's most significant continental region for endemism.

Searching for the Right Conservation Strategies

This rediscovery, according to researchers, is significant for many reasons.

Botero-Delgadillo says that this rediscovery shows yet again how little is still known about many critically endangered species that could vanish at any moment without our knowledge. Urgent action is necessary for these species, but it is necessary to have more information about the targeted species to direct those actions, Treehugger reports.

If the precise requirements are unclear, how can effective conservation strategies be developed?

Related article: Hummingbirds Face Possible Extinction Due to Global Warming