Great Sapphirewing
Common name: Great Sapphirewing
Scientific name: Pterophanes cyanopterus
Clades: Heliantheini - Brilliants
The Great Sapphirewing is 15.5 to 19 cm (6.1 to 7.5 in) long including the 3.6 cm (1.4 in) the bill. The males weigh between 9.6 and 11.2 g (0.34 and 0.40 oz) and the females 8.4 to 11 g (0.30 to 0.39 oz).
Great Sapphirewings are huge, majestic hummingbirds. A bright emerald with blue wings makes the males stand out. Females have greenish upperparts and cinnamon underparts. It has a medium-length bill that is slightly upturned. With slower wingbeats than the typical hummingbird blur, it is larger than almost all other hummingbirds. From northern Colombia to Bolivia, it occurs in montane forests and edges between 2,800 m and treeline. Frequently visits feeders.
3 subspecies:
P. c. cyanopterus
Distribution Eastern Andes of northern Colombia (Norte de Santander, Cundinamarca).P. c. caeruleus
Distribution Central and western Andes of Colombia (Tolima south to Nariño).P. c. peruvianus
Distribution Western Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and north-central Bolivia (Cochabamba).
