The Story
I photographed this Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) near La Macarena, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. Carl Linnaeus described it in 1766, and it forms a superspecies with the Grey Heron and the Great Blue Heron. It is mostly non-migratory but may move toward the equator in winter. Its generation length is estimated at 10.5 years, and the oldest known bird lived to about 24. It hunts fish and crustaceans in shallow water. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender, at 1/3000 sec, f/16, ISO 3200. Visits to Caño Cristales, the Mirador Cristalitos and the Raudal de Angosturas in La Macarena National Park are arranged through authorized local operators.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) 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 stable. Source: IUCN Red List