The Story
I photographed this Common Squirrel-Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) at Donde Se Oculta El Sol, near Villagarzón, Putumayo, Colombia, in February 2020. This large, active cuckoo lives in wooded habitats from northwestern Mexico to northern Argentina. It eats large insects such as cicadas, wasps and caterpillars, even those with stinging hairs. Its nest is a shallow platform of leaves hidden in dense growth, and the young leave it after eight days, before they can fly. It tolerates people well as long as woodland remains. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
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 200. Villagarzón, in the Amazon foothills, calls itself the Heart of Putumayo for its rich biodiversity, and Donde Se Oculta El Sol is one of its tourist sites.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Common Squirrel-Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) belongs to the family Cuculidae (Cuckoos) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List