The Story
I photographed this juvenile male Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) at the Jardín Botánico del Quindío in Calarcá, Quindío, Colombia, on July 17, 2018. In a study in Trinidad, about two thirds of its foraging was for fruit, and half of that fruit was Miconia berries. The female builds the nest, a shallow cup of dead leaves and rootlets. It is mainly a bird of the canopy, though it comes lower at forest edges. The garden’s butterfly house is a large open-air vivarium, home to more than 30 butterfly species native to Colombia. IUCN lists the Green Honeycreeper as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
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 500. The garden opened to the public in 2000, supports itself with help from the community and partner organizations, and has been a leader in ecotourism in the region.
©2019 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