The Story
This Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) was perched on a branch at Parque del Café in Montenegro, Quindío, Colombia, on June 14, 2017, framed by thin reddish stems. Adults are bright yellow with an orange crown. The species is common in open country, farmland, parks and gardens across much of Colombia, where it feeds mostly on seeds. Despite the name, it belongs to the tanager family. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon EOS 70D and the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. The bird faces the camera with its head turned to the left, its yellow breast filling the middle of the frame. Parque del Café is a coffee-themed park in the heart of the coffee region, and its planted gardens give visitors a chance to see birds that do well around people.
©2017 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