The Story
I photographed this female Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) at Ecoparque Los Alcázares in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. The Andean Emerald’s cup nest is made of tree-fern scales and plant fibers bound with spiderweb, with lichen on the outside. Breeding activity has been recorded at almost every time of year. It forages by trap-lining, visiting a circuit of nectar sources. Besides nectar, it catches insects by flying out from a perch. Ecoparque Los Alcázares Arenillo protects 34 hectares of high Andean humid forest on the southwest side of Manizales, at 1,900 to 2,000 meters. IUCN lists the Andean Emerald as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. The ecoparque works to protect the wildlife that moves along Manizales’ natural corridors and to help restore the city’s ecological capital.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) 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 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List