The Story
I photographed this Golden-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia chrysopasta) in the vereda El Pepino, outside Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia. It lives from southeastern Colombia through eastern Ecuador and Peru to northern Bolivia, and across Amazonian Brazil and the Guianas, reaching about 1,200 meters in Colombia. It feeds mainly on mistletoe fruit and other small fruits, usually in pairs. In forest it forages mostly in the canopy, but it comes lower at edges and in clearings. 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 1/750 sec, f/6.7, ISO 1600. El Pepino, about 6 kilometers from Mocoa on the road to Villagarzón, is home to the Fin del Mundo waterfall, one of Putumayo’s main natural attractions.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Golden-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia chrysopasta) 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 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List