The Story
I photographed this Purple-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron microrhynchum) at Murillo, Tolima, Colombia. It has often been seen robbing nectar through holes that flowerpiercers have made in flowers. It also feeds on insects caught on the wing and gleaned from flowers. Both sexes have a white spot behind the eye. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Murillo lies about 130 km from Ibagué and 78 km from Manizales. Murillo, at about 3,000 meters, is the highest town in Tolima, close enough to Nevado del Ruiz that the volcano is easy to see.
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 Purple-backed Thornbill as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Purple-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron microrhynchum) 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