The Story
I made this photo of a Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Cocoi Heron ranges from Central America to the Strait of Magellan. It uses almost any body of water or wetland away from dense forest, including lake shores, swamps, rivers and estuaries. It prefers fish and mammals as prey over insects. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Cocoi Heron 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 1/640 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 Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) 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