The Story
I photographed this Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) at Finca Ecoturística San Javier, in the vereda Chucuní near Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. Males are territorial and polygamous, mating with two females in a nesting season. The species is common in open and semi-open lowlands outside the Amazon Basin, and it has been introduced to Hawaii, Panama, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. It is tolerant of people and visits suburban areas. It nests in cavities, using sites such as old hornero nests, bamboo stems and spaces under roofs. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 3200. Finca San Javier offers guided birding as part of its work to help conserve the tropical dry forest of the Chucuní area.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) 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 2018), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List
