The Story
I photographed this male Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii) at El Palmar, the entrance to the Alto Combeima forest reserve in the Cañón del Combeima above Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia, at about 2,627 meters. He perched among yellow flowers. His iridescent emerald plumage and long tail show against the soft background. The species lives between 900 and 3,000 meters. It sometimes robs nectar by piercing the base of a flower, and the male builds the nest, a bulky dome of moss and plant fibers with a side entrance. 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 1/500 sec, f/9.5, ISO 12800. Birding at El Palmar follows the reserve’s rules for bird conservation areas, with registered operators, and playback is not allowed.
©2024 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