News

Bogota Sunangel or not? The intriguing hummingbird at Rogitama Private Nature Reserve (2011).

21 - 12 - 2011

When photos of the presumably re-discovered Bogota Sunangel (Heliangelus zusii) were briefly published at the Internet Bird Collection on December 05/2011, we quickly set our visit to old-friend Roberto Chavarro and wife Ginette at Rogitama Nature Reserve in the outskirts of the little town of Arcabuco in the Eastern Andes of Colombia, 3-hours north of Bogotá.

Excited with the great news and supported by Proexport, James Currie extended his stay in Colombia for three more days and flew from Cali to Bogotá, meeting there with Daniel’s brother, Félix. Daniel struggled with bad weather that stopped him from flying to Bogotá, having to spend an entire night at Pereira’s airport. Finally, the three of them met with Roberto Chavarro in Rogitama and lodged at comfortable rooms in the reserve for 3 nights.

A complete review of James Currie’s close encounter with this amazing hummingbird can be seen at:

http://10000birds.com/mystery-rogitama-hummingbird-captured.htm

http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk/tn77-james-currie-filming-bogota-sunangel/

http://blog.aba.org/2011/12/james-currie-on-mystery-hummingbird-in-colombia-new-species-lost-relic-other.html

In spite of multiple images and e-mails that have circulated through the internet, no definitive conclusion on the real identity of this bird has arisen yet. A group of Colombian ornithologists and conservationists are working on a diagnosis and we hope that a sound conclusion will arise soon.

In the meantime, we share here some of the photos of the bird taken during our visit to this beautiful reserve. Many thanks go to Roberto Chavarro, his wife Ginette and daughter for their hospitality and to Proexport for extending James’s stay in Colombia and facilitating Daniel’s trip to the area.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

 

Featured Tours

These are our best tours, covering the finest birds in Colombia. We
specialize in Colombia endemic bird tours, emphasizing the rarest and most threatened
species while enjoying nature.

© 2011 Birding Tours Colombia. All photographs, texts and contents appearing in this website are protected by international copyright laws and are not to be
downloaded or copied in any way without the written permission of the author.