Conservation

I photograph birds and wild places alongside the communities that protect them, using my images to drive awareness, support sustainable tourism and help keep those places wild.

11 of the 12 species in these stories are Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, yet BirdLife reports a decreasing population trend for 8 of those 11. The Red-crowned Crane is Vulnerable, with only 2,000–2,650 mature individuals.

Species status

IUCN Red List category and population data for each bird in my stories, as reported by BirdLife International.

Source: BirdLife International DataZone species factsheets (BirdLife is the IUCN Red List authority for birds). Species names are the titles of my photographs; BirdLife lists Ramphastos tucanus as the Red-billed Toucan and the Burnished-buff Tanager as Tangara cayana.
Species Scientific name (BirdLife) IUCN Red List Last assessed Population trend Mature individuals Source
Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis Vulnerable 2021 Decreasing 2,000–2,650 BirdLife factsheet
Burnished-buff Tanager Tangara cayana Least Concern 2018 Stable Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Great Potoo Nyctibius grandis Least Concern 2020 Decreasing 500,000–4,999,999 BirdLife factsheet
Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin Least Concern 2024 Decreasing Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Little Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus Least Concern 2018 Stable Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus Least Concern 2024 Decreasing Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata Least Concern 2018 Decreasing — BirdLife factsheet
Sunbittern Eurypyga helias Least Concern 2020 Decreasing 500,000–4,999,999 BirdLife factsheet
White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora Least Concern 2021 Decreasing 5,000,000–50,000,000 BirdLife factsheet
White-throated Toucan Ramphastos tucanus Least Concern 2022 Decreasing Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Yellow-crowned Amazon Amazona ochrocephala Least Concern 2018 Decreasing Unknown BirdLife factsheet
Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima Least Concern 2020 Increasing 5,000,000–49,999,999 BirdLife factsheet

In detail

Great Potoo

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020), with an estimated 500,000–4,999,999 mature individuals, though BirdLife reports the population as decreasing. Source: BirdLife International

Sunbittern

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2020), with an estimated 500,000–4,999,999 mature individuals and a decreasing population trend, according to BirdLife. Source: BirdLife International

White-necked Jacobin

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2021), with an estimated 5–50 million mature individuals, though BirdLife reports the trend as decreasing. Source: BirdLife International

Red-crowned Crane

Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2021), with only 2,000–2,650 mature individuals. BirdLife notes that while the island population in Japan has grown, the continental Asian population has declined rapidly, and the population wintering in China is very close to extinction. Source: BirdLife International

Yellow-crowned Amazon

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2018), but BirdLife reports a decreasing population and records the species in use and trade, including as pets. Source: BirdLife International

Little Woodpecker

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2018), with a stable population trend, according to BirdLife. Source: BirdLife International

White-throated Toucan

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2022), but decreasing; BirdLife lists livestock ranching, agro-industry farming and logging among its threats. Source: BirdLife International

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2024); its population size has not been quantified, and BirdLife reports the trend as decreasing. Source: BirdLife International

Spectacled Owl

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2018), though BirdLife reports the population trend as decreasing. Source: BirdLife International

Hoatzin

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2024); its population size has not been quantified, and BirdLife reports a decreasing trend. Source: BirdLife International

Burnished-buff Tanager

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2018), with a stable population trend, according to BirdLife. Source: BirdLife International

Yellow-headed Caracara

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2020), with an estimated 5–50 million mature individuals and an increasing trend, according to BirdLife. Source: BirdLife International