The Story
I photographed this Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) at La Macarena, Meta, Colombia. It lives in the Amazonian and Guianan lowlands, mainly along rivers. It is a sociable raptor, often seen in groups of two to five in tall trees. It rarely soars, and is usually seen flapping steadily in flight. It is considered resident, staying in the tropics all year. The Sierra de la Macarena is home to about 420 bird species, along with eight species of primates. La Macarena is part of the Sierra de la Macarena and of the Macarena Special Management Area, which brings together several protected areas.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/3200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800. IUCN lists the Black Caracara as Least Concern, with a stable population.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) belongs to the family Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2023), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List