The Story
I photographed this Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) at El Palmar, the entrance to the Alto Combeima forest reserve in the Cañón del Combeima above Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia, at about 2,640 meters. It is found only in Colombia and Ecuador and lives in all three Andean ranges of Colombia, mainly between 2,300 and 3,400 meters. Rather than hovering, it usually clings to flowers while it feeds. Its population size is not known but is believed to be stable. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/60 sec, f/11, ISO 6400. Birding at El Palmar follows the reserve’s rules for bird conservation areas, with registered operators, and playback is not allowed.
©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) 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