Distribution

Rufous-breasted Sabrewing occurs on the tepuis (isolated table mountains) of the Gran Sabana region of eastern Venezuela and immediately adjacent Brazil and Guyana (Phelps and Phelps 1958, Hilty 2003, Braun et al. 2003). The distribution extends west at least to Auyán-tepui and Aprada-tepui (Phelps and Phelps 1958) and east in Venezuela to the Sierra de Lema and Mount Roraima (Phelps and Phelps 1958, Hilty 2003). Rufous-breasted Sabrewing also occurs in adjacent Brazil on Uei-tepui (Phelps and Phelps 1962), and in Guyana on Mts Roraima and  Ayanganna (Braun et al. 2003). Note that although the type locality was given was Mt Roraima, Guyana (Cabanis 1848), the specimen was collected in Venezuela (Phelps 1938, Snyder 1966); consequently it only is very recently that Rufous-breasted Sabrewing has been confirmed to occur on the Guayana portion of Mt. Roraima.

Rufous-breasted Sabrewing is considered to be resident, but the abundance fluctuates dramatically at some sites, although it is not known if these shifts in abundance are related to regular seasonal movements (Hilty 2003).

The elevational range of Rufous-breasted Sabrewing is 1000-2000 m (Braun et al. 2003, Hilty 2003).

Endemic to the Americas.

Rufous-breasted Sabrewing occurs in humid montane forest, especially "disturbed areas at borders of stunted, mossy, melastome- and Clusia-dominated forest and tepui-summit scrub" (Hilty 2003).

None reported.

None reported.