More than a decade later, the Santa Marta winged hummingbird (Campylopterus phainopeplus) It is found in the forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The unexpected moment occurred near the Guatapurí River, at an altitude of 1,530 metres, with ornithologist Jürgen Vega, who was on an expedition for the World Parrot Trust, SELVA – Research for Conservation in the Neotropics and ProCAT Colombia – Project for the Conservation of Water and Soil to study endemic birds in the area.
“As I left the area where I was working, a hummingbird caught my eye. I grabbed my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was the Santa Marta Saber Pavilion, and in an incredible moment of luck a hummingbird landed on a branch, allowing me time to take pictures and film.‘,” reveals Jurgen Vega, in a statement.
According to the researcher, he was a male and his behavior and pronunciation were related to territory defense or courtship, although no other specimen was seen at the site. Experts point out that there is very little population there, which is declining.
The Campylopterus phainopeplus It is a rare species that was identified in 1946 and was last seen in 2010 in San Lorenzo. This is the third time that his sighting has been documented.
“This rediscovery is amazing and makes me hope we can begin to better understand this mysterious and endangered bird.“, says scientist Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, of SELVA.”However, we find them in an unprotected area, which means that it is extremely important for conservationists, local communities and government institutions to work together to learn more about hummingbirds, their protection and their habitat before it is too late.“.
This bird is among the 10 most wanted missing birds on the planet, as part of the Search for the Lost Bird Initiative, which brings together the organizations Re: wild, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and BirdLife International. In addition, it has been classified as “endangered” by the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
You can see some pictures of the Santa Marta Saber Pavilion available at Twitter And the Facebook From JUNGLE:
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