A new species of hummingbird was recently discovered in the Serrania del Pinche mountain range in southwest Colombia. The colorful Gorgeted Puffleg was first seen during surveys of the area done in 2005.
New plant species had recently been discovered in the area so researchers looked for other new species, expecting to find amphibians. The discovery of the bird was unexpected.
Experts believe the range of the Gorgeted Puffleg must be extremely small due to the fact that it had previously been undiscovered by man. The area where the bird was first seen is subject to slash and burn agriculture so environmentalists are scrambling to have the area protected.
