The Story
This juvenile Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) was at Murillo, Tolima, Colombia when I photographed it. It feeds on the ground on seeds, fallen grain, insects and spiders. It is usually seen in pairs that hold small territories, or in small flocks. It is tame, approachable and common throughout its large range. It lives in almost any open or semi-open habitat, including farmland, gardens, parks and grassland. Cortolima lists Murillo among Tolima’s birding routes. Murillo, at about 3,000 meters, is the highest town in Tolima, close enough to Nevado del Ruiz that the volcano is easy to see.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. IUCN lists the Rufous-collared Sparrow as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) belongs to the family Passerellidae (New World Sparrows) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List
