The Story
I photographed this Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola) at Finca Ecoturística Rupiguari, near San José del Guaviare, Guaviare, Colombia, in February 2021. Males have a bright orange half-moon crest, an orange-tipped black tail and an orange bill, while females are dark brownish gray with a yellow-tipped black bill. Young males in their first year look like females with orange speckles. It weighs about 200 to 220 grams and lives in rainforest near rocky outcrops. 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 1/250 sec, f/6.7, ISO 6400, +1 EV. San José del Guaviare is often called the gateway to the Colombian Amazon, and fast boats from the town reach the Raudal del Guayabero, about 38 kilometers away.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola) belongs to the family Cotingidae (Cotingas) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List