Project Sabrewing

Floyd Hayes

This large team under the supervision of Dr Floyd Hayes studied the endangered White-tailed Hummingbird. The species is the only globally threatened species in Tobago where it is extremely vulnerable. The team gathered data on the status, ecology and behaviours of the species.

Project update: 22/8/96. This project involved 17 participants from 11 countries. Together they set out to study the status, ecology and behaviour of the White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis), a globally threatened hummingbird endemic to the Cordillera de Caripe and Paria Peninsula of north-east Venezuela and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Working in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, 45 birds were located along 39.2 km of trails. A population estimate of several hundred birds was made for Tobago. The species appeared to have made a remarkable recovery from Hurricane Flora which came through in 1963. Evidence for lek polygyny was found (Project Sabrewing in litt. 1996).