The Story
I photographed this Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) at the Charca de Guarinocito, near La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia, in October 2020. The origin of its species name is unknown, but it may be related to cuca, a Chilean name for the bird that refers to its call note. In one study on the Paraná River it preferred water with aquatic vegetation, then open water, and used beaches least. It is rarely found farther south than Chubut in Argentina. It feeds mainly on fish more than 20 centimeters long, and also takes mammals, amphibians and sometimes insects. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800. The lagoon is protected as the Charca de Guarinocito Integrated Management District.
©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
