The Story
I photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) at Finca Alejandría at Km 18 above Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It is highly territorial, though it may share a flowering tree with other hummingbirds. It feeds by clinging to the flower and holds its wings open for a second or two after landing. It usually forages in the middle story but also feeds in the canopy. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, between about 2,000 and 3,500 meters. Cali lies in the Cauca River valley at about 1,000 meters, with the Western Andes rising to the west of the city.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, −1 EV. IUCN lists the Buff-tailed Coronet as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) belongs to the family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List