The Story
I photographed this female Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) at the Charca de Guarinocito, near La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia, in February 2020. It ranges from southern Texas to every mainland South American country except Chile, along still or slow-moving water. Both members of a pair dig a nest burrow up to a meter long in an earthen bank. The female usually incubates at night, the parents trade off by day, and the young fledge 26 to 27 days after hatching. About 20 million mature birds remain, though their number is decreasing. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. The Charca de Guarinocito is an old oxbow of the Magdalena River that stays connected to the river all year.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) belongs to the family Alcedinidae (Kingfishers) 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