Santa Marta Sabrewing

Santa Marta Sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus)

Name Origin:
The genus Campylopterus combines Greek kampylos meaning “curved” and pteron meaning “wing,” referencing the modified wing feathers typical of sabrewings. The species name phainopeplus means “shining robe,” likely referring to the bird’s iridescent plumage.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in)
⚖️ Weight: ~7.5–8.5 g (0.26–0.30 oz)
🌎 Range: Endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern Colombia
🧭 Elevation: 1,200–1,800 m
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Humid montane forest, forest edge, and regenerating secondary forest
🧬 Clade: Trochilini (a.k.a. “emeralds”)
📊 Status: Critically Endangered (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic — no subspecies recognized.

Species Overview

The Santa Marta Sabrewing is a large, striking hummingbird found only in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. With brilliant emerald-green upperparts and a glittering violet-blue throat, it is visually impressive but extremely rare. It inhabits humid montane forest and adjacent edges and is typically seen foraging alone or at scattered flowering trees.

Male Description:
Bright metallic green upperparts, iridescent bluish-violet throat, grayish underparts, and a deeply forked dark tail with white bases. Wings are broad and dusky with slightly thickened shafts.

Female Description:
Similar in shape but lacks the iridescent throat. Green above, pale below, with a grayish wash and slightly forked tail. Less vibrant but structurally similar to the male.

Habitat & Behavior:
Occurs in mid-elevation humid forest and edges, particularly in areas with abundant flowering trees. Known for being elusive and rarely vocal, it typically forages solitarily. Unlike many other sabrewings, it is less aggressive and more reclusive. Observations remain limited due to its rarity.

Conservation Note:
Once feared extinct, the Santa Marta Sabrewing had not been seen since 2010 and was known from only a handful of records. Miraculously, it was rediscovered in July 2022, when a male was photographed in the wild, only the second documented sighting in over a decade. With a known population likely under 50 individuals, urgent habitat protection in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is critical for its survival. This species remains one of the rarest birds in the world and is listed as Critically Endangered due to its extremely small and declining population, restricted range, and ongoing habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural expansion.

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