The Story
This female Red-headed Barbet (Eubucco bourcierii) was photographed at Finca Alejandría, at Kilometer 18 near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, at about 1,970 meters. Only the male has the all-red head; females have a crown and nape that vary from dull orange to green among subspecies, and several have a black forehead. The species ranges from Costa Rica and Panama to Ecuador and Peru, between 400 and 2,400 meters, though its elevation range varies widely from place to place. The female incubates the clutch of two to five eggs at night, and both sexes share the incubation during the day. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/1500 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, −1.5 EV. The San Antonio cloud forest at Kilometer 18 is recognized as an Important Bird Area and a Key Biodiversity Area, with the Multicolored Tanager as its symbol species.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Red-headed Barbet (Eubucco bourcierii) belongs to the family Capitonidae (New World Barbets) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List