The Story
This Scrub Tanager (Stilpnia vitriolina) was at the Jardín Botánico del Quindío in Calarcá, Quindío, Colombia when I photographed it on July 17, 2018. The Scrub Tanager uses scrub, open woodland, gardens and farmland in dry, semi-open country. It is not a forest bird, and it may be spreading into cleared areas. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. 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 Scrub Tanager as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and a 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400. 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.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Scrub Tanager (Stilpnia vitriolina) 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 stable. Source: IUCN Red List