A new species of hummingbird has been discovered in the montane cloud forests of south-west Colombian. The gorgeted puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae) is named for its brilliant, bicolor throat patch (of iridescent blue and green feathers) and the white tufts of feathers above its legs.

The bird was first sighted in 2005 by ornithologists Alexander Cortés-Diago and Luis Alfonso Ortega during a survey of the Serrania del Pinche region. In 2006, researchers returned to the area to gather more information. They recorded more sightings and took some photographs of the hummingbird that were later sent to experts in Germany for identification and confirmation that the bird represented a new species.

The Serrania del Pinche region is located in an isolated corner of Colombia. The gorgeted puffleg inhabits montane zones between 2600m and 2900m. The puffleg's habitat is primarily humid cloud forest or stunted elfin forest and may contain some natural gaps characteristic of a forest that is subject to occasional strong winds and unstable slopes.

Sadly, the isolation of the Serrania del Pinche region does not make it immune to human disturbance. An estimated 500 hectares each year are lost to slash-and-burn agriculture and much of the land is used for the cultivation of illegal crops such as coca (cocaine). Consequently, there is a presence of armed groups encouraging coca cultivation. Conservationists are cautiously hopeful in establishing a protected status for the region, perhaps citing the gorgeted puffleg as a flagship species for the region.

Find out more:

• Stunning New Hummingbird Species Needs Immediate Protection (Birdlife International)
• Introducing the Gorgeted Puffleg (A DC Birding Blog)

Photos © Alex Cortes / Birdlife International.