The Story
I photographed this female Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) in Santandercito, in San Antonio del Tequendama, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The species mostly forages in pairs and small groups and often joins mixed-species flocks. It feeds mainly on mistletoe fruit and other small fruits. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama and much of South America, from Colombia and Venezuela to Bolivia and Brazil. Both sexes build the nest, a globe with a side entrance, usually within about 3 meters of the ground. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed her with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/180 sec, f/11, ISO 3200. Finca La Pedregoza, a coffee farm in Santandercito, welcomes visitors to learn about the region’s coffee culture and to watch Cundinamarca’s birds.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) belongs to the family Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, 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 2020), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List