The Story
The shot
I photographed this Steely-vented Hummingbird (Saucerottia saucerottei) at the Jardín Botánico del Quindío in Calarcá, Quindío, Colombia, on July 17, 2018. Males forage on flowers in low shrubs and tree crowns, especially in second growth. It lives in forest clearings, second growth and cultivated areas at low to mid elevations in Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It is relatively common across its range, yet even its voice is not well described. The garden’s butterfly house is a large open-air vivarium, home to more than 30 butterfly species native to Colombia. 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 800. The regional environmental agency, the CRQ, has also entrusted the garden with eight hectares of natural forest in the Barbas Bremen forest reserve, near Filandia and Circasia.
©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
