Blue-bearded helmetcrest

The blue-bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) is a species of hummingbird endemic to the Santa Marta Mountains in northeastern Colombia. It has elongated purply blue throated feathers, which assemble in the form of a beard and a prominent white crest. The white frame from the face extends from the rear of the head, around the ear coverts and down to the breast side.

Blue-bearded helmetcrest
A blue-bearded helmetcrest photographed by Carole Turek of Hummingbird Spot in February 2020
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Oxypogon
Species:
O. cyanolaemus
Binomial name
Oxypogon cyanolaemus
(Salvin & Godman, 1880)
Illustration of blue-bearded helmetcrest (right) and Santa Marta sabrewing (left)

The blue-bearded helmetcrest was formerly considered to be a subspecies of what was known as the bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii). The blue-bearded helmetcrest was promoted to species status when the bearded helmetcrest was split into four species based on a study of biometric and plumage data published in 2013. The nominate subspecies was renamed the green-bearded helmetcrest.[2][3]

It is an extremely rare hummingbird which was known only from 62 museum specimens with the most recent specimen taken since 1946. Surveys during 1999-2003 failed to detect the species. A brief survey in February 2007 and December 2011 failed to detect the species but survey efforts were never sufficiently thorough to list this species as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).[1] In March 2015, the blue-bearded helmetcrest was rediscovered by researchers from the foundation ProAves while documenting fires set by local farmers that now threaten the species.[4]

References
  1. BirdLife International. (2016). Oxypogon cyanolaemus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22726798A94931971.en
  2. Collar, Nigel J.; Salaman, Paul (2013). "The taxonomic and conservation status of the Oxypogon helmetcrests" (PDF). Conservación Colombiana. 19: 31–38.
  3. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  4. ProAves "Spectacular Lost Hummingbird Rediscovered after 69 years amid Rampant Fires across the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia". Retrieved 18 March 2015.


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