The Story
I photographed this Crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica) at Finca La Conchita, in the Kilómetro 18 area near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in October 2019. It ranges from Belize and Guatemala to far northern Peru. Males have a violet crown, upper back and belly with a glittering green throat, while females are green above and gray below. In Colombia it breeds between 1,600 and 2,000 meters. It feeds at epiphytes, large herbs, shrubs and small trees, usually in covered or semi-open places. IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though its numbers are believed to be falling.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200, −0.7 EV. Much of its habitat in Central America and northern Colombia has been cleared, but it seems able to use fragmented forest.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica) 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 2023), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List