The Story
I made this photo of a Spectacled Parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus) at La Charca de Guarinocito in La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia. The Spectacled Parrotlet typically breeds between January and March. It is not found above about 1,600 meters. It prefers open habitat to dense forest. In the wild it feeds on seeds, nuts, leaves, berries, cactus and other fruits. It nests in tree cavities, often using old holes made by other birds. Corpocaldas counts 135 plant species, 14 amphibians, 21 reptiles, 164 birds and 45 mammals at the charca. IUCN lists the Spectacled Parrotlet 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 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800. In 2025 Corpocaldas zoned the charca for preservation, restoration and sustainable use, recognizing its role in community tourism and artisanal fishing.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Spectacled Parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus) belongs to the family Psittacidae (New World and African Parrots) 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