Common Tody-Flycatcher

The story behind my photograph of the Common Tody-Flycatcher, Reserva Natural El Danubio, Morelia, Caquetá, Colombia.

I photographed this Common Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum) at the Reserva Natural El Danubio, near Morelia, Caquetá, Colombia, in February 2020. Its wings are black with yellow edges, and the yellow tips on the coverts form two wing bars. It is a year-round resident. Its breeding season runs anywhere from December to October depending on the region, and the female alone incubates two or three eggs. Its population of at least five million mature birds is believed to be stable. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.

I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. El Danubio lies on the Eastern Andes in the Bodoquero River basin, with three trails, and visitors can watch birds from the El Milagro lookout or hike to the Moo Buinaima waterfall, about 20 meters high.

The bird

The Common Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum) belongs to the family Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.

Conservation

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2021), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List