The Story
This Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) perched on a weathered stump at the forest edge at Hacienda Guadalajara in La Buitrera, Palmira, near the Pradera line in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. His intense red plumage stands out against the soft green background, and his pale blue bill adds a small contrast. The species is native to Colombia, Panama and Venezuela, and in Panama it is called sangre de toro, blood of the bull. Males have a deep blackish maroon-red head and breast that brightens to red on the lower back and rump, with black wings and tail. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender for this one, at 1/250 sec, f/16, ISO 3200, −1.5 EV. Hacienda Guadalajara lies on the western flank of the Cordillera Central.
©2026 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List