The Story
I photographed this Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) at Mirador Barlovento above Pradera, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Its emerald-green body caught the last warm glow, with fine speckling on the throat and its long, slender bill leading the way as its wings blurred. The species lives in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, between 600 and 2,100 meters, and it also catches insects by sallying out from a perch. Its cup nest is made of tree-fern scales and plant fibers bound with spiderweb. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one from about 4 meters, at 1/500 sec, f/6.7, ISO 6400. Mirador Barlovento sits above Pradera on the western flank of the Cordillera Central.
©2026 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) 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
