White-chinned Sapphire

White-chinned Sapphire

Chlorestes cyanus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Tayrona National Natural Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

379 Verified sightings at Tayrona National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
864 In all 8 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-chinned Sapphire

The White-chinned sapphire (Chlorestes cyanus) is a small species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in northern and eastern South America. It inhabits a variety of environments, including lowland tropical forests, woodland edges, and clearings with scattered trees. This species is known for its distinctive steel-blue tail and sexual dimorphism, with males displaying a violet-blue head and throat and a coral-red bill, while females have subdued green plumage. The White-chinned sapphire feeds primarily on nectar from flowering plants but also consumes small arthropods such as insects and spiders. It is non-migratory species and occurs as a year round resident throughout much of its range.

This species was formerly placed in the genus Hylocharis. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Hylocharis was polyphyletic. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, the white-chinned sapphire was moved to Chlorestes.

The white-chinned sapphire is a South American hummingbird, found across much of northern and eastern South America. Prior to 2007, this bird was widespread in the Amazon Rainforest at altitudes below 600m, extending... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:27

Brazil · 2025

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1044488 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call1:08

Colombia · 2022

© Frank Lambert · XC1040007 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Uncertain0:14

Bolivia · 2020

© Jacob Wijpkema · XC606493 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
2 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~10%
3 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
6 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
8 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Niterói 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-chinned Sapphire in Tayrona National Natural Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-chinned Sapphire sighting in Tayrona National Natural Park on a given day, based on 379 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 285 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-chinned Sapphire in Tayrona National Natural Park?

March and May

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-chinned Sapphire in Tayrona National Natural Park on a given day, against about 10% in June and August–October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a White-chinned Sapphire?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-chinned Sapphire sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tayrona National Natural Park the best place to see a White-chinned Sapphire?

Yes

Of the 8 parks where we can rate White-chinned Sapphire sightings, Tayrona National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 10%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 10%).

Which relatives of the White-chinned Sapphire live in Tayrona National Natural Park?

Same family: Trochilidae

The closest relatives of the White-chinned Sapphire that you can see in Tayrona National Natural Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (about 40%), Pale-bellied Hermit (about 30%) and White-necked Jacobin (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-chinned Sapphire sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-chinned Sapphire is recorded against all the birds logged in Tayrona National Natural Park (379 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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