The Story
This Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita) was at the Observatorio de Colibríes in La Calera, near Bogotá, Colombia when I photographed it. The Glowing Puffleg takes nectar while hovering, perching or sometimes clinging to the flower. Its diet also includes insects and spiders caught in flight. The female has shining golden green upperparts. At least 14 hummingbird species visit the observatory’s single hectare, where the family has planted about 300 native flowering trees and shrubs. IUCN lists the Glowing Puffleg as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. Victoria Lizarralde and her family began the observatory in 2005, and they plant native flowers, keep the feeders fresh and host school visits to promote conservation.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita) belongs to the family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
