The Story
I photographed this female White-vented Plumeleteer (Chalybura buffonii) at Hacienda Guadalajara in La Buitrera, Palmira, near the Pradera line in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She rested quietly on a slender branch. Her long, gently curved bill and layered green plumage show subtle shifts from olive to emerald, with soft iridescence even in subdued light. Females of this species are paler green above and gray below, with green speckles on the sides and dull gray tips on the outer tail feathers. The species lives in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 800mm f/11 for this one, at 1/30 sec, f/11, ISO 6400, +1 EV. Hacienda Guadalajara lies on the western flank of the Cordillera Central.
©2026 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The White-vented Plumeleteer (Chalybura buffonii) 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 2022), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List