The Story
This Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) perched among green leaves near Puerto Nariño, in Amazonas, Colombia, its bright red head set against black-and-white plumage. It lives in the lowlands of eastern Colombia, the Guianas, Venezuela, eastern Ecuador and Peru, northern Bolivia and the Brazilian Amazon. It feeds on insects, rice and fruit and is usually seen in conspicuous pairs or family groups. Its nest is a shallow open cup, placed in a tree or another secure spot. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender, at 1/500 sec, f/16, ISO 1600, −1.5 EV. The nearby Lagos de Tarapoto became a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 2018, and the Ticuna, Cocama and Yagua communities around them keep agreements on responsible fishing.
©2024 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) belongs to the family Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies) 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 stable. Source: IUCN Red List