Diamantina Sabrewing
Campylopterus diamantinensis
Large hummingbird of montane forests and edges. Restricted range in mountains of southeastern Brazil. Plain gray below and iridescent green above. Note large dark tail with white tips; also look for fairly heavy, slightly dropped bill and white spot behind eye. Occurs mostly in forest clearings or other semi-open habitats such as edges, tree fall gaps, and gardens. Forages at low- to mid-levels.
Identification
The Diamantina sabrewing is a large hummingbird, about 13.4 cm (5.3 in) long. Males weigh about 8.5 g (0.30 oz) and females 8.0 g (0.28 oz). The sexes have almost identical plumage including a white spot behind the eye. Their bill is long and slightly decurved; the maxilla is black and the mandible whitish with a brownish tip. Male's upperparts are dark grass green with a darker crown and their underparts dark gray. Their tail's central two pairs of feathers are metallic bronze-green. The other three pairs have bright bronze-green bases that grades through dark olive gray to a wide white tip. The female differs only by being a slightly duller green.
Taxonomy
The Diamantina sabrewing was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the grey-breasted sabrewing (Campylopterus largipennis). In a 2017 paper Lopes et al. provided convincing evidence that it deserved species status. Starting in 2020 the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society and worldwide taxonomic systems agreed, recognizing the Diamantina sabrewing. It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Campylopterus diamantinensis
- Authority
- Ruschi, 1963
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Campylopterus
Range and habitat
The Diamantina sabrewing is found only in the Espinhaço Range of southeastern Brazil's Minas Gerais state. It inhabits forested streams and ravines in campos rupestre, a high elevation, dry, fire-prone biome between 1,000 and 2,000 m (3,300 and 6,600 ft). The type locality is Córrego das Pedras in the municipality of Diamantina.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Diamantina sabrewing's movements, if any, have not been documented.<p>The Diamantina sabrewing's foraging strategy and diet are not known but are assumed to be similar to those of its former "parent" the grey-breasted sabrewing.<p>Nothing is known about the Diamantina sabrewing's breeding phenology.<p>The Diamantina sabrewing's vocalizations are very poorly known. As of mid-2022 xeno-canto has no recordings and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library only two. The species' original description noted that its alarm call is "a strong, rapidly repeated single note: ché, ché, ché, ché, ché, ché."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Bird Calls
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