The Story
I photographed this Apolinar’s Wren (Cistothorus apolinari) in the Páramo de Siscunsí above Sogamoso, Boyacá, Colombia, at about 3,690 meters. It is about 12 centimeters long, with a chestnut crown and streaked back. This wren is endemic to the Andes of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. The IUCN describes its population and range as very small and declining fast, because its fragmented habitat is being lost and degraded, and some subpopulations have already disappeared. IUCN lists it as Endangered.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/1500 sec, f/11, ISO 3200. The Páramo de Siscunsí is part of the Siscunsí–Ocetá Regional Natural Park, where grasslands and frailejones of the genus Espeletia cover the high slopes.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Apolinar’s Wren (Cistothorus apolinari) belongs to the family Troglodytidae (Wrens) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Endangered on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List