Santa Marta Woodstar

Santa Marta Woodstar (Chaetocercus astreans)

Name Origin:
The genus Chaetocercus comes from the Greek chaite meaning “hair” or “mane” and kerkos meaning “tail,” referencing the fine tail streamers seen in some species. The species name astreans derives from Latin, meaning “starry” or “brilliant,” referring to its iridescent plumage.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 6.5–7.5 cm (2.6–3.0 in)
⚖️ Weight: ~2.5–3.0 g (0.09–0.11 oz)
🌎 Range: Endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern Colombia
🧭 Elevation: 1,000–2,400 m
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Humid montane forest edge, clearings, coffee plantations, and second-growth scrub
🧬 Clade: Mellisugini (a.k.a. “bees”)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic — no subspecies recognized.

Species Overview

The Santa Marta Woodstar is a tiny, fast-moving hummingbird restricted to the isolated highlands of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Males are striking with a glittering green back and crown, brilliant violet gorget, and contrasting white underparts. Females are more subdued but show the small size and energetic flight typical of woodstars.

Male Description:
Shimmering green upperparts, brilliant violet-purple throat, white breast and belly, and a short notched tail. Bill is short and straight.

Female Description:
Green upperparts, pale buffy underparts, and rufous flanks. Tail is rounded with dark central feathers and pale-tipped outer ones.

Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits edges of humid montane forest, scrubby clearings, and shade coffee plantations. Frequently feeds in the mid to upper levels of flowering shrubs and trees. Typically solitary, fast-flying, and easily overlooked. Unlike many other hummingbirds, woodstars often hover with a bumblebee-like flight and rarely perch in the open.

Conservation Note:
Though endemic to a single mountain range, the Santa Marta Woodstar is currently listed as Least Concern. It remains fairly common in suitable habitats, including forest edge, regenerating scrub, and coffee plantations. Continued monitoring is needed, but it shows adaptability to modified landscapes, reducing immediate risk. However, ongoing deforestation and land-use change in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region could impact long-term stability.

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