The Story
I photographed this Red-breasted Meadowlark (Leistes militaris) at Hato Barley in Tauramena, Casanare, Colombia. It has benefited from the open habitat created by forest clearing and ranching, and it is extending its range. It builds a deep, grass-lined cup nest on the ground among tall grasses, often with several nests close together. It is a gregarious bird that feeds mainly on insects and some seeds, foraging on the ground. The male is mainly black, with a bright red throat, belly and shoulder patches. Casanare lies in Colombia’s Orinoquía region, the eastern plains, at an average of about 350 meters.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800. IUCN lists the Red-breasted Meadowlark as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Red-breasted Meadowlark (Leistes militaris) belongs to the family Icteridae (Troupials 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 2020), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List