The Story
This Fawn-breasted Brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) was at the Recinto del Pensamiento in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia when I photographed it. The Fawn-breasted Brilliant lives in the Andes from western Colombia south to central Bolivia. Most records come from between about 1,100 and 2,200 meters. When it feeds on nectar it hovers or hangs from the flower, flicking its long tongue in up to 13 times a second. The reserve’s trails pass a hummingbird viewpoint, a butterfly house, an orchid forest and the Pabellón Zeri, built of guadua and regional woods. IUCN lists the Fawn-breasted Brilliant 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 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, +1 EV. The reserve belongs to the Comité Departamental de Cafeteros de Caldas and is run by the Corporación para el Desarrollo de Caldas to promote nature tourism in Manizales.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Fawn-breasted Brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) 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
