Blue-bearded Helmetcrest

The blue-bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) is a species of hummingbird endemic to the Santa Marta Mountains in northeastern Colombia. It has elongated purply blue throated feathers, which assemble in the form of a beard and a prominent white crest. The white frame from the face extends from the rear of the head, around the ear coverts and down to the breast side. The blue-bearded helmetcrest was formerly considered to be a subspecies of what was known as the bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii). The blue-bearded helmetcrest was promoted to species status when the bearded helmetcrest was split into four species based on a study of biometric and plumage data published in 2013. The nominate subspecies was renamed the green-bearded helmetcrest. It is an extremely rare hummingbird which was known only from 62 museum specimens with the most recent specimen taken since 1946. Surveys during 1999-2003 failed to detect the species. A brief survey in February 2007 and December 2011 failed to detect the species but survey efforts were never sufficiently thorough to list this species as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). In March 2015, the blue-bearded helmetcrest was rediscovered by researchers from the foundation ProAves while documenting fires set by local farmers that now threaten the species.