 It has been suggested that the species is under competitive disadvantage for the same ecological niche with others hummingbird species, specifically the Gorgeted sunangel, and that avoidance of forest borders is used to mitigate the stress imposed by the seasonal altitudinal migrations.The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN based on its restricted range and extremely low population numbers.A 2015 assessment estimated a total number of 210-268 individuals (of which roughly 140-180 would be adults), and the population is believed to have shrunk by 10-20% per decade in the recent past.