The Story
I photographed this Rusty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa sittoides) in the Cincinati area above Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia, at about 1,530 meters. Flowerpiercers are named for piercing the base of flowers to reach nectar that would otherwise be out of reach, using an upswept bill with a hooked tip. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, in montane forest, high shrubland and degraded former forest. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/1000 sec, f/6.7, ISO 1600, −1 EV. These mountains rise from the Caribbean coast to 5,700 meters, apart from the Andes, and they are the source of 36 rivers.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Rusty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa sittoides) belongs to the family Thraupidae (Tanagers 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 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List