The Story
I photographed this Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) at the Observatorio de Colibríes in La Calera, near Bogotá, Colombia. The Tyrian Metaltail’s breeding seasons vary widely along its long north-south range. It takes nectar from many flowering plants, hovering or clinging, and sometimes piercing the base of a flower. It also catches small insects on the wing. The Observatorio de Colibríes sits at about 3,000 meters in high Andean forest, in the vereda Frailejonal of La Calera, near Bogotá. IUCN lists the Tyrian Metaltail as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. Visits are limited to groups of 20 and to Tuesday through Saturday, because, as the founder says, the hummingbirds also need a rest from people.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina) 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