Great Sapphirewing
Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)
Name Origin:
The genus Pterophanes derives from Greek pteron (“wing”) and phanes (“showing” or “appearing”), meaning “wing-showing” — a reference to its large, gleaming wings. The species name cyanopterus combines kyanos (“dark blue”) and pteron (“wing”), describing its vivid sapphire-colored flight feathers.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 17–19 cm (6.7–7.5 in)
⚖️ Weight: 9.5–10.5 g (0.33–0.37 oz)
🌎 Range: Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
🧭 Elevation: 2,500–4,000 m (8,200–13,100 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Cloud forest, montane forest edge, and shrubby páramo
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini “Brilliants” (large Andean hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Three subspecies:
1. Pterophanes cyanopterus cyanopterus
Distribution: Eastern Andes of northern Colombia, including Norte de Santander and Cundinamarca.
2. Pterophanes cyanopterus caeruleus
Distribution: Central and western Andes of Colombia, from Tolima south to Nariño.
3. Pterophanes cyanopterus peruvianus
Distribution: Western Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and north-central Bolivia (Cochabamba).
Species Overview
The Great Sapphirewing is a truly majestic Andean hummingbird and the second largest species in the family Trochilidae. Males exhibit glowing metallic blue wings and breast, giving rise to its common name. Its broad wings and slow, deliberate flight give it a distinctive presence among the smaller, faster-flying hummingbirds of the Andes. This species is typically found gliding along forest edges and shrubby páramo, often visiting large tubular flowers at high elevations.
Male Description:
The male is shimmering emerald-green above, with brilliant sapphire-blue wings and breast, a dark blue tail, and a green back with a golden gloss. The bill is black and moderately long.
Female Description:
The female is bronzy-green above, with paler greenish underparts, and blue only on the wing feathers, lacking the male’s intense coloration. She is slightly smaller and has a more muted appearance overall.
Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits humid montane forest, elfin forest, and páramo edges, typically from 2,500 to 4,000 meters. Feeds on nectar from Fuchsia, Bomarea, Siphocampylus, and Puya flowers, hovering gracefully with powerful wingbeats. It often forages high in the canopy and makes long, looping flights between flower patches. Though generally solitary, males may defend flower-rich territories, using a low, thrumming flight display.
Conservation Note:
The Great Sapphirewing is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains locally common in suitable highland habitats. Its range overlaps several protected areas, including Los Nevados National Park (Colombia), Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador), and Manu National Park (Peru). The species’ wide elevational range and tolerance of secondary growth contribute to its stability, though habitat loss at mid-elevations poses regional risks. Continued protection of montane forest and páramo corridors is essential for this magnificent Heliantheini emblem of the high Andes.
Below is the Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus cyanopterus)
Photographed at Reserva Bosque Guajira and Observatorio de Colibríes, Cundinamarca, Colombia
This individual belongs to the subspecies cyanopterus, which occurs along the Eastern Andes of Colombia and north through Venezuela. It inhabits humid montane and elfin forest between 2 400 and 3 800 meters.
Below is the Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus caeruleus)
Photographed at Hotel Termales del Ruíz, Caldas, Colombia
This individual belongs to the subspecies caeruleus, found in the Central and Western Andes of Colombia from Tolima south to Nariño. It favors high-elevation forest edge and shrub zones between 2 800 and 3 800 meters.
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