The Story
On June 22, 2017, I photographed this Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) at the Recinto del Pensamiento in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. It ranges from southeastern Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and lives in almost any open or semi-open habitat, often near people. It copes well with towns and suburbs, including gardens and parks. Its songs have been studied closely by scientists since the 1970s. Manizales sits on the steep ridges of Colombia’s Central Cordillera, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which rises to 5,321 meters.
I used a Canon EOS 70D and the EF400mm f/5.6L USM for this one, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000. IUCN lists the Rufous-collared Sparrow as Least Concern with an increasing population, and most of the Recinto del Pensamiento’s 179 hectares are a protected and productive nature reserve.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) belongs to the family Passerellidae (New World Sparrows) 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