One of the World's Rarest 'Lost Birds' Photographed in Colombia

One of the most elusive and mysterious creatures in the world is the hummingbird known as the Santa Marta sabrewing. Since it was first identified, there have only been two documented occurrences and one in over a decade. The bird is threatened by habitat loss.

The Santa Marta sabrewing was discovered in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains in the 1960's. It is large enough for a hummingbird. The iridescent blue neck, curved black bill, and emerald-green feathers of males make them easy to spot for anyone with a trained eye. The bird has not been seen in the wild since it was found.

The sabrewing has become so rare that it was added to the coalition's top 10 most wanted birds. The start of the Search for Lost Birds initiative was heralded by the release of the list.

The rediscovery of the Santa Marta sabrewing was nothing more than good fortune and the group has since funded new expeditions to look for these birds. The birdwatcher was about to leave the area when he found a male bird on a branch. Vega was able to take photos and videos of the bird because it was so nice to be there. The bird was able to sing.

The Santa Marta sabrewing seems to prefer forested areas in the mountains. There have been other unconfirmed reports of it near where Vega found it. This discovery alone, and how it came about, may lead to new insights into the species. SELVA was one of the groups that Vega had worked with.

It will be important to work with the rural and Indigenous communities in the region in order to understand this species. Botero-Delgadillo said that community monitoring programs will be the most efficient way to generate valuable information that contributes to the preservation of the species. It is possible that there are other locations where urgent attention is needed. The first step is to determine where stable populations occur so that we can identify pressures and threats.

These forests have been eroded by industrial human activity. The bird is not the only species in the area that is in danger of extinction.

There is a community of wildlife found nowhere else in the world in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.

Unless further effort is taken, we may never see this majestic bird again.

I hope that people are inspired and hopeful by the information they read. The director of threatened said it was an incredible accomplishment to find this bird and something that was only possible through the amazing collaboration and long-term efforts. I hope that people see the rediscovery as a call to action for both the sabrewing and other lost bird species. More than a hundred species of birds are currently lost. Hopefully, by working together, we can locate them all.