The Story
I made this photo of a female Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami) at Los Nevados National Natural Park in Murillo, Tolima, Colombia. In Colombia it ranges up to 4,000 meters. It feeds on nectar while hovering and favors shrubs in the heath and melastome families. Males defend feeding territories. Much of its páramo habitat has been burned to make cattle pasture, though it occurs in several protected areas. Los Nevados was declared a national park in 1974 and protects Andean forest, páramo and glaciers on the Central Andes. Murillo, at about 3,000 meters, is the highest town in Tolima, and the western edge of the municipality takes in the peaks of Nevado del Ruiz.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. IUCN lists the Viridian Metaltail as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami) 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