The Story
I photographed this Buff-necked Ibis (Theristicus caudatus) near La Macarena, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. It once included the similar Black-faced Ibis of colder southern South America, which has a buff lower chest and lacks the large white wing patches. The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek for of reaping. It lives in a wide range of open habitats and is almost entirely resident. Its population is estimated at 25,000 to 100,000 birds. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/3000 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800. Visits to Caño Cristales, the Mirador Cristalitos and the Raudal de Angosturas in La Macarena National Park are arranged through authorized local operators.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Buff-necked Ibis (Theristicus caudatus) belongs to the family Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List