The Story
I photographed this Red-breasted Meadowlark (Leistes militaris) at Hacienda La Cabaña, near Tauramena, Casanare, Colombia, in January 2020. Males are black with a bright red throat and belly, which gives the species its name militaris and the Trinidad name soldier bird. In display the male flies up about 10 meters and parachutes down on folded wings, singing a wheezy song. It builds a deep, grass-lined cup nest on the ground in tall grass. IUCN lists it as Least Concern, and its population appears to be growing.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800. It has benefited from the open country created by forest clearing and ranching, and it is extending its range.
©2020 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