The Story
I photographed this Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) in Santandercito, in San Antonio del Tequendama, Cundinamarca, Colombia, at about 1,596 meters. In northern Colombia it lives in dry to humid areas along forest edges and clearings, gallery forest, woodlots and cultivated land. It feeds mainly on the fruits of mistletoe and other small fruits, with a few insects. It mostly forages in pairs and small groups and often joins mixed-species flocks, and it is a year-round resident. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 1600. The Festival Internacional Aves Tequendama, held each year in nearby La Mesa, includes birding routes in San Antonio del Tequendama.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) belongs to the family Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, 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 2020), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List