The Story
This Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys) perched on a stem of purple Stachytarpheta flowers at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in soft afternoon light. Its speckled plumage and subtle brown tones sit in natural harmony with the greenery. La Minga is known for its rich biodiversity. This hummingbird is native to the Andean cloud forests, and in Ecuador it ranges from about 1,400 to 3,000 meters on both slopes of the Andes. Its nest is a bulky cup of moss and cobweb lined with plant fiber. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/180 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800. Cali, Yumbo, La Cumbre and Dagua have committed to conserving the San Antonio–Km 18 Key Biodiversity Area, the cloud forest around La Minga, along with its water sources.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys) 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List