The Story
I photographed this Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) near Santander de Quilichao in Cauca, Colombia. This small finch feeds mainly on mistletoe fruit and other small fruits, usually in pairs or small groups, and is a good mimic of other birds’ calls. IUCN lists it as Least Concern with a stable population, and it is considered common in Colombia. Both sexes build the nest, a globe with a side entrance made from twigs, leaves and plant fibers. Its song is a long, rambling mix of its own notes and borrowed ones.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender, at 1/250 sec, f/16, ISO 3200, −0.5 EV. It occurs in many protected areas, though most of its habitat is unprotected.
©2022 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