Grey-breasted sabrewing
Grey-breasted sabrewing (Campylopterus largipennis)
- What it is: A large hummingbird in the emeralds group.
- Where it lives: Humid forests and clearings in parts of South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, the Guianas, Peru, and Venezuela). Found in Amazonas, Brazil.
- Size and appearance: 12.4–14.9 cm long; males weigh 9–10 g, females 7–8 g. Males and females look similar. Bill is slightly curved. Upperparts are dark, shiny green; underparts are dark gray. A white spot is behind the eye. Tail: central feathers green; outer feathers are bluish black with white tips in parts.
- Subspecies: Three recognized by the IOC (largipennis, obscurus, aequatorialis). Some taxonomies merge aequatorialis with obscurus or treat obscurus as a separate species.
- Habitat and range: Inhabits humid primary and secondary forests, clearings, and plantations at elevations of 100–800 m. Year-round resident.
- Diet: Feeds on nectar from various flowers, usually at low to medium heights. Males defend feeding areas. Also catches small insects in flight.
- Breeding: Builds a moss cup nest lined with soft seeds, decorated with lichen, placed on a horizontal branch or hanging twigs near waterfalls or streams, close to the ground. Incubation and fledging times are unknown.
- Song and calls: Makes repeated short calls like "chip" or "trzik" and sometimes a faster stuttering sequence; its song is the same note delivered in a more regular series.
- Conservation status: IUCN Least Concern. Has a very large range and a population likely in the millions, but numbers are believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss from agriculture, urbanization, and mining.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:28 (CET).