The Story
I photographed this Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Maguari Stork is in between the smaller Wood Stork and the larger Jabiru in size. Males average about 4.2 kilograms and females about 3.8 kilograms. The sexes look nearly alike, but the male is a little larger, with a slightly upturned bill. Young birds keep black skin around the eye for about a year before it turns red. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Maguari Stork as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. La Palmita conserves its flooded savannas through its cattle ranching and has welcomed visitors since 2013, so every stay supports sustainable tourism in the region.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari) belongs to the family Ciconiidae (Storks) 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 stable. Source: IUCN Red List