The Story
I photographed this Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana) at Qawana Reserva Natural near Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia, at about 1,290 meters. It is endemic to the forests and woodlands of the Cauca and Magdalena valleys of Colombia, typically at the edges of dry to humid forest and in mature second growth. It is social, and groups of up to 20 have been seen. Once fairly widespread, it has disappeared from some areas after years of hunting and habitat loss, but it can survive in scrub and is fairly tolerant of people where it is not hunted. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L, at 1/350 sec, f/4, ISO 1600. Ibagué has more than 551 recorded bird species, and a SiB Colombia bird-monitoring project there describes birdwatching as an important strategy for both development and conservation.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana) belongs to the family Cracidae (Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List