Female Red-legged Honeycreeper Flying from a Perched Companion at Arenal

Two female Red-legged Honeycreepers (Cyanerpes cyaneus) share an exposed branch above the forest at Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica. The bird on the left flies away with both wings and its translucent tail fully spread, while the second bird remains perched with its slender decurved bill slightly open. Their olive-green plumage, pale facial markings and reddish legs contrast with the clean blue sky. A 1/2000-second exposure at f/4 and ISO 6400 arrests the departing bird's spread flight feathers while preserving a slight softness at the fastest-moving tips.