The Great Sapphirewing (*Pterophanes cyanopterus*) is one of the largest hummingbirds in the world, measuring around 17–18 centimeters (about 7 inches) in length, and is found in the cloud forests and high-altitude shrublands of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, typically at elevations between 2,500 and 4,000 meters. The male is a breathtaking sight: his body is cloaked in deep, velvety green, while his wings — the feature for which the species is named — blaze with an intense, iridescent sapphire-blue that shimmers and shifts in the light, appearing almost electric when caught at the right angle. The female is considerably more subdued, with buffy-cinnamon underparts and green upperparts, though she shares the same distinctive large, blue-tinged wings that set this species apart from other hummingbirds. Both sexes have a straight, moderately long black bill well suited to probing the tubular flowers of Andean plants, particularly those in the genera *Fuchsia* and *Passiflora*. Like all hummingbirds, it hovers with extraordinary precision, beating its wings in a rapid figure-eight stroke to remain stationary while feeding, fueling its high metabolism with nectar supplemented by small insects and spiders for protein. Despite its impressive size relative to its family, the Great Sapphirewing moves through the misty Andean forests with the same agile, darting energy characteristic of all hummingbirds.
