The Story
This Golden-naped Tanager (Chalcothraupis ruficervix) perched briefly on a clean, sunlit branch at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, showing its turquoise body, dark wings and the warm golden patch on the nape. The even light held accurate tones without the harsh contrast of broken forest light. This species moves quickly through mid-level foliage, and this one turned slightly toward me with an alert posture. It is found in the Andes of South America from Colombia to Bolivia. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 6400, −0.5 EV. La Minga sits in the cloud forest of the Kilometer 18 area, about an hour from Cali.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Golden-naped Tanager (Chalcothraupis ruficervix) belongs to the family Thraupidae (Tanagers 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