The Story
I photographed this Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii), of the subspecies emmae, at the Recinto del Pensamiento in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. The Long-tailed Sylph lives between about 900 and 3,000 meters and has a complex pattern of movements. It feeds on nectar and insects, usually hovering at flowers but sometimes clinging to them or piercing the base of a flower to rob nectar. The reserve’s trails pass a hummingbird viewpoint, a butterfly house, an orchid forest and the Pabellón Zeri, built of guadua and regional woods. IUCN lists the Long-tailed Sylph 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 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100, +1 EV. The reserve belongs to the Comité Departamental de Cafeteros de Caldas and is run by the Corporación para el Desarrollo de Caldas to promote nature tourism in Manizales.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii) belongs to the family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) 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