The Story
I photographed this Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) in the Vista Nieve area above Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia. It is found from Mexico through Central America and across most of South America. Besides forest, it is common in secondary growth, shady plantations and brushy gardens near forest. It eats mainly fruit, flowers and nectar, with some insects, and usually feeds at the forest edge. Its nest is a bulky cup of plant material, usually in a bush or tree between about 0.3 and 2 meters above the ground. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/1000 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, −0.5 EV. These mountains rise from the Caribbean coast to 5,700 meters, apart from the Andes, and they are the source of 36 rivers.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List