The Story
I photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) at Mirador Barlovento above Pradera, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in the Andean foothills. I caught him in mid-flight in golden late-afternoon light. His head shows sapphire-blue iridescence, his white neck patch stands out against the emerald-green body, and his long, straight bill leads as the wings blur with motion. The species ranges from Mexico through Central America into northern South America, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. It feeds on nectar at the flowers of tall trees, epiphytes, shrubs and Heliconia, and several may share one feeding tree. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame from about 4 meters with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/250 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800, −0.5 EV. Mirador Barlovento sits above Pradera on the western flank of the Cordillera Central.
©2026 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