The Story
I photographed this Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) at the Kairi Lodge Natural Reserve, near Manizales, Caldas, Colombia, in February 2020. In the north of its range it lives mostly between 600 and 4,000 meters, in almost any open or semi-open habitat, including farms, gardens and parks. It feeds on the ground on seeds, fallen grain, insects and spiders. Tame and approachable, it is common across its large range. The female lays two or three eggs and incubates them for 12 to 14 days. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
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/5.6, ISO 800. The reserve says it wants its staff, suppliers and guests to learn to value the natural resources around them.
©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