homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Scientists discover new hummingbird species and it's almost extinct already

A remarkable finding, already highly vulnerable.

Mihai Andrei
September 27, 2018 @ 4:41 pm

share Share

Remember last week, when we wrote about a newly discovered bird from Africa, and it was already threatened by extinction? Well guess what — it’s happened again. This time researchers working in the Andes describe a previously-unknown hummingbird species which is already under threat, largely due to human activity.

This photo of a previously unknown species of hummingbird led to the discovery of the critically endangered Blue-throated Hillstar. Credit: F. Sornoza.

Hummingbirds are unusual enough, but even among them, hillstars stand out: they live in high-elevation habitats in the Andes mountain range, and as a result, have developed special adaptations to colder climates. Francisco Sornoza of Ecuador’s Instituto Nacional de Biodiversida first observed and photographed this particular hillstar during fieldwork in southwest Ecuador in April 2017.

Francisco had a feeling he’d come across a new species, and he convinced fellow researchers Juan Freile, Elisa Bonaccorso, Jonas Nilsson, and Niels Krabbe, to help. Together, they returned in May to capture specimens and confirm the finding. They dubbed the new species Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus, or the Blue-throated Hillstar, for its iridescent blue throat.

So far, so good — but this is where things start to get nasty. The Blue-throated hillstar is found in a very limited range, only along the bush-lined creeks in an area of about 100 square kilometers (160 square miles). Researchers estimate that at best, there are about 750 individuals, but the real number is likely below 500. Not only is the species threatened by wildfires and grazing, but gold mining also started to chew away at its habitat.

Considering all of this, researchers say that bird meets all the criteria to be considered critically endangered.

“Complete support from national and international conservation agencies is needed in order to save this species,” says coauthor Francisco Sornoza-Molina. “The action plan for the conservation of this bird is creating a network of protected areas along its geographic range.”

This hillstar is also difficult to study because its habitat is very inaccessible. This makes the finding even more exciting — and the conservation even more difficult.

“The hillstar hummingbirds occur in the most rugged, isolated, and inaccessible parts of the Andes, where they roost in caves, forage on the ground, and spend half their lives in hypothermic torpor, so the discovery of a new species in this group is incredibly exciting. This striking discovery confirms that life in the high Andes still holds many secrets to be revealed,” according to the University of New Mexico’s Christopher Witt, a hummingbird expert who wasn’t involved in the study.

“The location is fitting for a new species of hillstar, because it’s a remote, high mountain range that is isolated and is sandwiched between the ranges of two other hillstar species. The authors did a thorough job comparing the new form to its relatives in every respect.”

Journal Reference: “Francisco Sornoza-Molina et al. A striking, critically endangered, new species of hillstar (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador”. The Auk. DOI:10.1642/AUK-18-58.1

share Share

The World's Oldest Known Ant Is A 113-Million-Year-Old Hell Ant with Scythe Jaws

A remarkable find for ant history was made, not in the field but in a drawer.

Your Cells Can Hear You — And It Could Be Important for Fat Cells

Researchers explore the curious relationship between sound and gene expression in cell cultures.

Scientists Create a 'Power Bar' for Bees to Replace Pollen and Keep Colonies Alive Without Flowers

Researchers unveil a man-made “Power Bar” that could replace pollen for stressed honey bee colonies.

First-Ever Footage Captures a Living Colossal Squid—And It’s Just a Baby

A century after its discovery, the elusive giant finally reveals itself on camera.

Yeast in Space? Scientists Just Launched a Tiny Lab to See If We Can Create Food in Orbit

Microbes can brew food in space — a game-changer for astronauts.

This Chewing Gum Can Destroy 95 Percent of Flu and Herpes Viruses

Viruses had enough fun in our mouths, it's time to wipe them out.

Scientists filmed wild chimpanzees sharing alcohol-laced fermented fruit for the first time and it looks eerily familiar

New footage suggests our primate cousins may have their own version of happy hour.

Could This Saliva Test Catch Deadly Prostate Cancer Early?

Researchers say new genetic test detects aggressive cancers that PSA and MRIs often miss

This Tokyo Lab Built a Machine That Grows Real Chicken Meat

A lab in Tokyo just grew a piece of chicken that not only looks like the real thing — it tastes like it too.

Why the Right Way To Fly a Rhino Is Upside Down

Black rhinos are dangling from helicopters—because it's what’s best for them.