The Story
I photographed this female Crimson-backed Tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus) in the Cincinati area above Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia, at about 1,495 meters. The species is native to Colombia, Panama and Venezuela, and a local name in Panama is sangre de toro, blood of the bull. It is about 16 centimeters long, with a heavy bill whose lower mandible has a wide base. Its closest relative is the Masked Crimson Tanager. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed her with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/250 sec, f/6.7, ISO 6400. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated range, separate from the Andes, that rises to 5,700 meters just 42 kilometers from the Caribbean coast.
©2021 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