The Story
This Chestnut-capped Brushfinch (Arremon brunneinucha) was photographed at Bosque de Niebla Birding & Nature, in the Kilometer 18 cloud forest near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, at about 2,020 meters. It is one of the larger brushfinches, with a wide black mask, a small white spot above the bill, and a chestnut crown and nape edged by a thin tawny line. Both sexes look alike. It is a year-round resident that eats mostly insects and seeds with some small fruits, and in Colombia it favors forest with a bamboo understory. The female alone incubates the eggs, for about 14 days. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/90 sec, f/5.6, ISO 12800, −1 EV. Bosque de Niebla Birding & Nature sits at Kilometer 18 in Parcelación El Silencio, La Elvira, and visits are by advance booking.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Chestnut-capped Brushfinch (Arremon brunneinucha) belongs to the family Passerellidae (New World Sparrows) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List