The Story
I photographed this juvenile Yellow-headed Caracara (Daptrius chimachima) at the Instituto Tecnológico del Putumayo in Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia, in February 2020. It ranges from Nicaragua to Uruguay, mostly below 1,000 meters, and moves into cleared land. It eats almost anything, from carrion, insects and crabs to fruit such as oil palm and maize, much of it taken while walking on the ground. Young birds depend on their parents for about three weeks after fledging. Its population is believed to be increasing. 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 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600, −1 EV. Mocoa, the capital of Putumayo, was founded in 1563, and its economy rests on farming and trade.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Yellow-headed Caracara (Daptrius chimachima) belongs to the family Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) 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 increasing. Source: IUCN Red List