The Story
I photographed this Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) near La Macarena, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. It is the largest heron in South America, 95 to 130 centimeters long, and southern birds are probably the biggest. It has a gray back and upper wings, a white neck with black streaks and a black crown that extends into a pointed crest. Males and females are alike in size and color. Its fish prey includes Leporinus species and streaked prochilod. 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 1/750 sec, f/6.7, ISO 400, −1 EV. La Macarena National Park was created by decree on September 1, 1989, and spreads across five municipalities of southern Meta.
©2021 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