The Story
This Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) was at Fincas Verdes in San Antonio, Tolima, Colombia when I photographed it. It breeds in forest between 400 and 1,600 meters but spreads widely into the lowlands when not nesting. It feeds on nectar from small flowers of trees, shrubs and epiphytes. It also catches insects in flight as an essential source of protein. Males sing in loose leks of up to several dozen birds. San Antonio lies in southern Tolima, about 109 km from Ibagué. Birds recorded around San Antonio include threatened species such as the Yellow-eared Parrot and the Spot-winged Parrotlet.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200. IUCN lists the Brown Violetear as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) 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