The Story
I photographed this Blue-naped Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia cyanea) in the Vista Nieve area above Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia, at about 1,535 meters. It feeds almost exclusively on fruit, with a few insects. It is mostly a year-round resident, though some birds move from highlands to lowlands. Its flight feathers are dusky with bright green edges. It favors mistletoe fruits and often forages in pairs, family groups or small flocks of up to about 12 birds. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/500 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated range, separate from the Andes, that rises to 5,700 meters just 42 kilometers from the Caribbean coast.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Blue-naped Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia cyanea) belongs to the family Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List