[Animals] Qué sabemos del Colibrí ala de sable, el ave ‘fantasma’ casi extinta que reapareció en Colombia

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The saber-winged hummingbird had only been seen twice. It took more than a decade for researchers to hear his song again.
Twelve years ago, the Santa Marta saber-wing hummingbird perched on a researcher's mist net. That was the last time he was seen. Since then, in the last 12 years, it was believed to be extinct. Until now.

The emerald green blue-throated hummingbird is one of the most sought-after birds in the world, according to Birdlife International, along with the Himalayan Quail and the Cuban Kite. "We must find them before they become extinct," says the institution.

The saber wing was discovered in 1946. However, the species has been so elusive for researchers and sighting fans, that it was not until 2010 when it was recorded with certainty through its song and a photograph in the El Dorado Reserve. , which are kept public on the eBird documentation site.

In July this year, the bird thought lost in the wild finally reappeared and was photographed perched on a branch singing. The image was captured by Yurgen Vega, who was studying endemic birds in the forests of Sierra Nevada, in Santa Marta, in an unprotected area.

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"It's like seeing a ghost"
The observer, as he narrated, was about to leave the place, when he saw the brightness of a male of this species. The bird remained calm for a long time, which allowed his record to remain in photographs and videos, and allowed Vega to listen to his song.

“IT IS SO AMAZING TO SEE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THE SANTA MARTA SABERWING,” JOHN MITTERMEIER, AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY'S DIRECTOR OF ENDANGERED SPECIES OUTREACH, SAID IN A RELEASE. "IT'S LIKE SEEING A GHOST."

For years, enthusiasts came to the habitat of this species in search of confirming its existence, hearing it sing and capturing the moment. This bird is quite large for a hummingbird, its emerald green plumage shines, it has a curved black bill and a blue neck.

According to Birdlife, this bird is the rarest and most endangered of the 22 species identified in this Endemic Bird Area.

“COULD STILL BE PRESENT GIVEN HABITAT REMAINS, BUT ANY SURVIVING PO[CENSORED]TION IS LIKELY TO BE SMALL AND DECREASE AS FORESTS AND ESPECIALLY OPEN PARAMO VEGETATION ABOVE TREE LINE CONTINUE TO BE DESTROYED, FRAGMENTED AND DEGRADED”, MENTIONS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION.

The habitat of this species is currently threatened by agriculture, as are some 22 endemic species that have been sighted in this Colombian region.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/colibri-ala-de-sable-el-ave-casi-extinta-reaparece-en-colombia/