The Story
I photographed this Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) near Santander de Quilichao in Cauca, Colombia. Males are a striking exception in the generally drab tyrant-flycatcher family, with a red crown and red underparts, and the species prefers semi-open habitats, feeding mostly on flies, grasshoppers, beetles and other insects caught in mid-air. Both sexes hunt from a perch, making short sallies and returning to watch for the next insect. Males give a flight song while flying high above the canopy. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender for this one, at 1/500 sec, f/16, ISO 3200, +1 EV. Munchique Los Tigres is a municipal nature reserve used for environmental education, ecotourism and birding outings.
©2022 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