The Story
I photographed this Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus) along the Trampolín de la Muerte, the mountain road above Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia. The species is found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and is a year-round resident. It feeds mostly on small fruits, apparently favoring those of Miconia, and also eats small insects. Females lack the male’s showy forecrown feathers. Males display to females at dispersed leks, performing on mossy logs and buttress roots. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 800mm f/11 for this one, at 1/180 sec, f/11, ISO 6400, +0.5 EV. The road from San Francisco to Mocoa opened in 1944 and runs between about 600 and 2,800 meters, crossing from Andean forest into the Amazonian foothills.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus) belongs to the family Pipridae (Manakins) 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