- Pterophanes cyanopterus
Identification
A very large (15-20 cm., 6-8 in.) hummingbird. Long (30mm) bill with slight upturn.
Male is irridescent green above; blue-green below. Wings long, blue to purple. Tail long and forked, with a bronze wash. Small white post-ocular spot.
Female has browner crown, less intense coloration in general, and rufous breast, on flanks with green speckles.
Similar Species
Photo © by Ecuadorrebel
Yanacocha Reserve, north-western Ecuador, July 2010
This is the largest hummingbird in its habitat (the Giant Hummingbird does not come to such humid areas). Shares slow wing beats with the Giant Hummingbird.
Distribution
South America: found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia between 2000 and 3600m in elevation.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized[1]:
- P.c. cyanopterus:
- East Andes of north-central Colombia
- P.c. caeruleus:
- Central Andes to extreme south-western Andes of Colombia
- P.c. peruvianus:
Habitat
Shrubby borders of high-altitude temperate forests areas.
Behaviour
Action
Fast, direct flight.
Diet
Feeds at flowers either from hover or perch. Is attracted to feeders.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Ridgely, R.S., & P.J. Greenfield (2001). "The Birds of Ecuador - Field Guide". Comstock/Cornell Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-8014-8721-7
- Heynen, I., P. F. D. Boesman, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gresap1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Great Sapphirewing. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Great_Sapphirewing
