The Story
I photographed this Blue-winged Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus) at Finca La Florida, at Kilometer 18 near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, at about 2,020 meters, in February 2021. It lives in highland forest and woodland in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, with a separate population in Venezuela’s Coastal Range. It is mostly bright yellow and black, with blue in the wings and tail, and some populations have a moss-green back. It is a common species, and its populations appear to be stable. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/750 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, −0.5 EV. Cali, Yumbo, La Cumbre and Dagua have committed to conserving the San Antonio–Km 18 Key Biodiversity Area, its forest and its water sources.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Blue-winged Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus somptuosus) 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List