The Story
This immature Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) was at Ambalema, Tolima, Colombia when I photographed it. Its pleasant, repetitive song and bright color have led to it being kept as a cage bird in many areas. Males are territorial and may mate with two females in a nesting season. It usually nests in cavities, including old Rufous Hornero nests, bamboo stems and the space under house roofs. It is common in open and semi-open lowlands outside the Amazon basin. Ambalema’s historic center and railway station are national monuments. Ambalema lies about 70 km northeast of Ibagué.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. IUCN lists the Saffron Finch as Least Concern, with a stable population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) 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 2018), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List