The Story
I photographed this Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis) at the Finca Ecoturística Canaguaros, near Tauramena, Casanare, Colombia, in January 2020. It has a broad, flat bill, a short tail and short legs. Males are bright turquoise-blue with a black mask, while females are mostly grass-green. Its movements are complicated and poorly understood, and in much of Colombia it is seasonal or uncommon. It is notably gregarious and often perches in plain view in treetops. IUCN lists it as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/2000 sec, f/9, ISO 800. Tauramena’s mayor’s office says birding days like the Global Big Day help build birdwatching as a sustainable activity in the town.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis) 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 2023), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List