The Story
I photographed this Pied Water-Tyrant (Fluvicola pica) at Hato El Diamante, near San Luis de Palenque, Casanare, Colombia, in January 2020. Males are mostly white, with a black hindcrown and nape, black wings and a mottled black-and-white back. It is described as active and perky, constantly flicking its tail down and up. It feeds on insects, gleaning them from floating and emergent plants, from the water’s surface and from open ground. It often sits on low perches such as fence posts and floating vegetation. On the Pauto River at San Luis de Palenque, local guides take visitors by canoe to watch birds, reptiles, otters, monkeys and turtles.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800. IUCN lists the Pied Water-Tyrant as Least Concern, though its numbers are believed to be falling.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Pied Water-Tyrant (Fluvicola pica) belongs to the family Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) 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