Female White-necked Jacobin

The Story

This female White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) perched in profile on a green stem at Mirador Barlovento above Pradera, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in the Andean foothills, in golden late-afternoon light. Iridescent green scales cover her head and back, fine green speckling forms a mosaic across her throat and breast, and her white belly and boldly patterned tail complete the look. Her long, slightly curved bill and dark eye stand out against the soft forest background. The species ranges from Mexico through Central America into northern South America. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.

I made this frame from about 4 meters with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/1500 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200. Mirador Barlovento sits above Pradera on the western flank of the Cordillera Central.

The bird

The White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List