The Story
I photographed this Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) at Hacienda Guadalajara in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It stands out among the mostly drab tyrant flycatchers for its vermilion-red color. Males have bright red crowns, chests and underparts with brownish wings and tails, while females lack the vivid red. It prefers riverside and semi-open habitats. It catches insects in flight. Females build a shallow open cup nest and incubate the eggs, and the male feeds the female during incubation. Both parents feed the chicks, which are ready to fledge after about 15 days. Palmira lies on the east bank of the Cauca River and is a center of the valley’s large sugar mills.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. IUCN lists the Vermilion Flycatcher as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) belongs to the family Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2021), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List