The Story
I made this photo of a Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Boat-billed Flycatcher feeds mostly on insects, but also on figs, berries, seeds and small vertebrates. It usually forages in pairs or small family groups, from mid-level to the canopy. In the Amazon basin it is found mostly in the canopy of várzea forest and along the edges of lakes and rivers. 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 Boat-billed Flycatcher as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/320 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 Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) belongs to the family Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) 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