The Story
I made this photo of a Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Roadside Hawk often soars but does not hover. It is a fairly small bird of prey, and it is often the most common raptor in its range. Except perhaps for dense rainforest, it is well adapted to most ecosystems in its range. Its call is a very high-pitched, piercing squeak. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Roadside Hawk as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. La Palmita’s research center also monitors the savanna’s birds and mammals and rehabilitates and releases wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) belongs to the family Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) 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