The Story
I photographed this Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) at La Macarena, Meta, Colombia. Its song is variable and plays an important part in holding a territory. 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. La Macarena is part of the Sierra de la Macarena and of the Macarena Special Management Area, which brings together several protected areas.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/320 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