The Story
This Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) was at Los Nevados National Natural Park in Murillo, Tolima, Colombia when I photographed it. It lives between about 2,500 and 4,300 meters, and in Colombia it makes seasonal movements up and down the mountains. It takes nectar at every level from the ground to the treetops, at bromeliads, vines and trees such as Puya and Fuchsia. Males defend patches of flowering plants. Its nest is a compact cup of moss and cobweb lined with soft plant fibers. Los Nevados was declared a national park in 1974 and protects Andean forest, páramo and glaciers on the Central Andes.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. IUCN lists the Shining Sunbeam as Least Concern, with a stable population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) 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 2024), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List