Shooting (photographically!) birds in dense forests has its challenges. Focus can be challenging, there is rarely enough light to avoid compromises, and on particularly bright days, the dynamic range requirement can be enormous.
But sometimes, the light falls just so and you can ‘lean into’ the problems.
When this shot was first displayed in PhotoLab with my default RAW preset, the background was completely black. I discovered there is, in fact, some detail in there, so I brought it up just a touch so you can see it, but without detracting from the contrast.
The subject is a juvenile Korimako (Bellbird).