The Story
The shot
I photographed this Steely-vented Hummingbird (Saucerottia saucerottei) at Finca La Conchita, in the Kilómetro 18 area near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in October 2019. It lives in forest clearings, second growth and cultivated areas at low to mid elevations in Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. Males forage on flowers in low shrubs and tree crowns, especially in second growth. It is relatively common across its range, yet even its voice is not well described. The Blue-vented Hummingbird of southern Central America was long treated as the same species. IUCN lists the Steely-vented Hummingbird 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 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Steely-vented Hummingbird (Saucerottia saucerottei) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
