The Story
I photographed this Great Antshrike (Taraba major) at Humedal La Samaria, near Santander de Quilichao in Cauca, Colombia. This large antbird has a crest, a red iris and a heavy hooked bill, and it forages low in heavy cover for large insects and even small vertebrates, so it is far more often heard than seen. Its nest is a cup of plant fibers, usually slung by its rim in a branch fork within about 3 meters of the ground. IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though its population is believed to be decreasing.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender, at 1/125 sec, f/16, ISO 3200. A 2018 study at Universidad Santiago de Cali surveyed La Samaria’s plants and animals to support declaring the wetland a municipal nature reserve.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Great Antshrike (Taraba major) belongs to the family Thamnophilidae (Typical Antbirds) 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List