A glance of the world’s smallest bird with that iridescent emerald green and electric blue patch on the throat would surely be mind-blowing for all. But unfortunately, this newly discovered species is already in need for protection against its biggest enemy — human encroachment.
Named, gorgeted puffleg, the new species is easily twice as big as its otherwise thumb-sized counterparts found in the eastern United States. It measures between 3.5 inches and 4 inches (90 and 100 mm) in length.
In a statement, Andre Weller of the Brehm Fund for International Bird Conservation/Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig said,
We immediately suspected the bird as a new species. Further study has shown that this is certainly the most spectacular discovery of a new hummingbird taxon during the last decade or more.
With obvious excitements, Ornithologists Alexander Cortes-Diago, who made three sightings of the hummingbird in 2005, termed this discovery as ‘completely unexpected!’
But, the destruction of the mountain cloud forest habitat of the southwest Colombia is threatening the bird towards extinction especially with the coca fields’ migration from the Caqueta and Putumayo areas to the Pacific.
If this human encroachment is not barred, this would perhaps be the last view of the brilliant-colored hummingbird species.