The Story
I made this photo of a White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant) at the Observatorio de Colibríes in La Calera, near Bogotá, Colombia. The White-bellied Woodstar is about 8.5 centimeters long and weighs about 3.8 to 4 grams. It lives along the edges of humid forest, in pastures and in cultivated areas. The male’s upperparts are dark bluish green, and the color continues onto the flanks. At least 14 hummingbird species visit the observatory’s single hectare, where the family has planted about 300 native flowering trees and shrubs. IUCN lists the White-bellied Woodstar as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. Victoria Lizarralde and her family began the observatory in 2005, and they plant native flowers, keep the feeders fresh and host school visits to promote conservation.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant) 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