The Story
I made this photo of a Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Blue-gray Tanager lives mainly on fruit but also takes some nectar and insects. It is a common, restless, noisy and confiding bird, usually seen in pairs. It does well around people and will take cultivated fruit such as papaya. It ranges from Mexico south to northeastern Bolivia and northern Brazil. La Palmita is a civil-society nature reserve in Trinidad that protects about 400 hectares of flooded savanna and 250 hectares of forest. IUCN lists the Blue-gray Tanager as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. La Palmita conserves its flooded savannas through its cattle ranching and has welcomed visitors since 2013, so every stay supports sustainable tourism in the region.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) belongs to the family Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies) 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 increasing. Source: IUCN Red List
