Alizafiro Grande
Great Sapphirewing
Pterophanes cyanopterus
Song
Great Sapphirewing
Appearance: The Great Sapphirewing is a large hummingbird with iridescent blue-green plumage on its upperparts and a brilliant sapphire blue throat. It has a long, slightly curved bill and a deeply forked tail. The female is slightly duller in coloration than the male.
Habitat: This species is found in montane cloud forests, ranging from 2600 to 3700 m in elevation. They prefer areas with dense vegetation and abundant flowers for feeding.
Behavior: Great Sapphirewings are highly territorial and will aggressively defend their feeding and nesting areas from other hummingbirds. They feed on nectar from flowers and insects.
Breeding: The breeding behavior of the Great Sapphirewing is not well documented, but they are known to build cup-shaped nests made of plant fibers and spider webs placed on a tree branch or shrub.
Conservation status: The Great Sapphirewing is considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN,
MALE
MALE
FEMALE
MALE
Distribution
The Great Sapphirewing can be found in the Andean regions in the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Quindio, Risaralda, and Tolima. They are most seen in the cloud forests of the Central and Western Andes.
Taxonomy
The Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Pterophanes
- Species: Pterophanes cyanopterus
Vocalization
The Great Sapphirewing emits a series of high-pitched chirps and trills, often accompanied by a buzzing sound created by its rapid wingbeats. Its vocalizations are melodic and carry over long distances in the dense forest canopy.
