The Story
This Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis) was at Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia when I photographed it. The Red-capped Cardinal feeds on insects, rice and fruit. It is usually seen in conspicuous pairs or family groups. It builds a shallow open cup nest in a tree. Juveniles have the adult pattern but dusky-brown upperparts and a brownish-buff head. Leticia, the capital of Colombia’s Amazonas department, lies on the left bank of the Amazon where the borders of Colombia, Brazil and Peru meet, an area called Tres Fronteras. IUCN lists the Red-capped Cardinal as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200. From Leticia, travelers go upriver by boat to Amacayacu National Natural Park, which protects 4,220 square kilometers of rainforest, and the Ticuna people live in part of the park.
©2021 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