The Story
This Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapilla) was at La Charca de Guarinocito in La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia when I photographed it. Pairs often sing in antiphonal duets. Grown young stay with their parents and help raise later broods, a system of cooperative breeding. The Charca de Guarinocito is an old channel of the Magdalena in La Dorada, protected since 1988 and now delimited by Corpocaldas at 167 hectares. Corpocaldas counts 135 plant species, 14 amphibians, 21 reptiles, 164 birds and 45 mammals at the charca. IUCN lists the Black-capped Donacobius as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. In 2025 Corpocaldas zoned the charca for preservation, restoration and sustainable use, recognizing its role in community tourism and artisanal fishing.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapilla) belongs to the family Donacobiidae (Donacobius) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
