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Spectacular news!! - Bogota Sunangel (1 Viewer)

rockfowl

rockfowl

Mark Andrews
Via the Internet Bird Collection

Spectacular news!! | the Internet Bird Collection

Mauricio Rueda sent us six photos from Colombia of the enigmatic Bogota Sunangel (Heliangelus zusii), known only from a single specimen from 1909. Until now the validity of this species has been questioned and some authorities considered it of hybrid origin.
For the moment no specimen has been captured, but the images compared with the type specimen are very convincing.

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/bogota-sunangel-heliangelus-zusii
 
Wow squared! Excellent news, well done to all concerned (and hope that confirmation of its taxonomic status will not damage its population size).
 
Welsh Peregrine said:
Wow squared! Excellent news, well done to all concerned (and hope that confirmation of its taxonomic status will not damage its population size).
Click to expand...

Or putting it another way lets hope that some museum worker does not feel the need to shoot a few specimens.

Steve
 
That's absolutely fantastic. Imagine being the first person to ever take a photo of a particular species, incredible. What an incredible find. Just goes to show that there is still so much out there.
 
Yes, incredible news! I was just about to share it but someone else did it first. I didn't expect that one. I bet it was found in some little known site rather than the area where it was assumed to historically occur but it will be interesting to see where it was rediscovered once that information is released.
 
If there is anybody who knows where to find it, please let me know. I am leaving for an independent birding trip and will arrive in Bogota next week... I would be very greatful if someone has some info, whatever it is, and whatever is the level of being discrete with any info coming to me! :)
 
Seems like all pictures are taken off IBC...possibly the photographer has to keep things quiet in order to present this rediscovery in a more 'official' way...
A bummer anyway, I gradually saw the pictures disappearing one by one, and thought to save at least a printscreen for ID.
I can only hope they open up a site soon to watch the hummer!
 
Well the photos were pretty amazing - assuming this is the Bogota Sunangel (a good species) - then we have had an unexpected insight into the rediscovery of the year! Fingers crossed there is a good population of them, however localized it turns out to be. Look forward to the official press release and here's hoping the identity is confirmed through DNA and not additional and unnecessary specimen procurement. I can't wait to see it!

cheers, alan
 
temmie said:
Seems like all pictures are taken off IBC...
Click to expand...

Juan Carlos De Las Casas on NEOORN today...
Re: [NEOORN-L] Bogota Sunangel rediscovered?

The photos are not available now on IBC, but this was a link Camilo Orjuela shared to me:
http://www.ornithomedia.com/infos/breves/breves_art1_273.htm

If this is the photo... then I think is a bad news... it is a Ramphomicrum, just note the bill longitude... and no tail of sunangel!

un saludo!

JC
Juan Carlos De Las Casas
Album > www.flickr.com/photos/jcdelascasas

El Chamicero
Birding in the Capital
Bogotá, D.C. - Colombia.
www.elchamicero.com
info AT lchamicero.com

Corporación Sentido Natural - SN
www.sentidonatural.org
JC AT sentidonatural.org
Bogotá, D.C. - Colombia.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Wiki:" Ramphomicron is a genus of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It contains the following species:

Black-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron dorsale)
Purple-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron microrhynchum)"

Is there a wider concept of the genus elsewhere?

I can't see the bird in the Photo being related to these two Thornbills.

cheers, alan
 
My gut feeling said to me it's very similar to Royal Sunangel from Northern Peru. I would not be wondered if it has the same type of habitat (high ridges with stunted vegetation), which would explain a lot about this bird not being found in so many years. Royal Sunangel also has so little known stake outs, just because of the (lack of) accessibility of good habitat.

The bill does not seem to be any different than the specimens I have seen on pictures.
 
Good point, but Royal Sunangel doesn't have that white spot behind the eye which is (or was) very clear on all pics of Mauricio Rueda. It would be interesting to compare the females, as Mauricio Rueda took pictures of a presumed female Bogota Sunangel.
 
Luis Mazariegos on NEOORN...
Re: [NEOORN-L] Bogota Sunangel rediscovered?

I had access to additional photos from other angles. It is not Ramphomicron. Its tail is bifurcate with round tips and quite long. The back is iridescent blue as Heliangelus regalis from EC and PE and it has an irridescent green throat and frontlet. The size is also larger. I definitely think this is Heliangelus zusi. I suppose the researchers will soon publish this great rediscovery.

Saludos,

Luis
Click to expand...
 
Martin Reid on NEOORN...
Re: [NEOORN-L] Bogota Sunangel rediscovered?

I've studied the six pics that were briefly available, and read the Graves 1993 paper describing zusii. The only aspect that I can see that APPEARS to be at odds is the bill length - but I've also looked at lots of photos of various Heliangelus, and the bird in the recent pics looks in-proportion to some of the taxa in that genus - in particular viola, which is also the closest in overall structure, IMO. The bill of the zusii specimen actually looks rather too long for typical Heliangelus, I feel, and I wonder if there is something about the prepared specimen that is creating this impression?
The fact that we cannot see any green color on the throat or forecrown in these few images is not too significant, as we all know how such colors are dependent on the angle of the viewer and the light source. Gunnar mentioned the apparent violet in the gorget area in one pic: again angles can cause gorgets to appear to be a totally different color, and note that Graves states "Gorget feathers have golden-green tips separated from the gray base by a narrow violet band."
Reading Graves' description it mentions the blue-black flanks (same as back), and creamy-white undertail coverts each with a single lanceolate brownish-gray subterminal spot - all visible in the photos of the live bird(s?).

It would be great to see a statement from the finders/intended publishers of these birds. I realise that they do not want to preempt what is likely to be a truly significant paper - but maybe just few lines that might nip in the bud various conjectures in this (and maybe other) forum(s). I can't wait to find out where these pics were taken!!

Regards,
Martin

---
Martin Reid
www.martinreid.com
Click to expand...
 
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