The Story
I photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) at Entreaguas Reserva Natural, near Coello in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia, at 1,187 meters. He perched on a slender branch. His blue, turquoise and white plumage contrasts with the green foliage around him, and his iridescent feathers shine in the soft, diffused light under the forest canopy. The species ranges from southern Mexico through Central America and into northern South America. It feeds on nectar at the flowers of tall trees, epiphytes, shrubs and Heliconia plants, and outside of feeding trees it is seldom territorial. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed him with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 3200, −0.5 EV. Entreaguas, in the Coello–Cocora area of Ibagué, offers ecological walks and birdwatching tours.
©2024 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) 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 2021), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List