The Story
I photographed this Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in the Andean foothills. His iridescent turquoise plumage and black hood set off a vivid yellow bill and red eye, with a small catchlight. La Minga is a haven for birdwatchers and photographers. The species lives in the tropical New World from southern Mexico to Brazil and on Trinidad, mainly in the canopy but lower at forest edges, and it feeds on fruit with some nectar and arthropods. 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 1/250 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800. La Minga sits in the cloud forest of the Kilometer 18 area, about an hour from Cali.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List