Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

The Story

I made this photo of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) at the Jardín Botánico del Quindío in Calarcá, Quindío, Colombia, on July 17, 2018. In Colombia it is found from sea level up to about 1,800 meters, including in young, brushy secondary forest. Like most hummingbirds it feeds on nectar and small insects. The Jardín Botánico del Quindío in Calarcá is a scientific research and environmental education center, and it was the first legally constituted botanical garden in Colombia. IUCN lists the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.

I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640. The garden opened to the public in 2000, supports itself with help from the community and partner organizations, and has been a leader in ecotourism in the region.

The bird

The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List