The Story
I photographed this Rufescent Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) on the Orteguaza River at Puerto Arango, near Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia, in February 2020. It lives in wetlands from Central America through much of South America. Juveniles are rusty-buff, coarsely barred with black. Spending most of its time by the water, it eats fish, crustaceans, water beetles and dragonfly larvae. Its main call is a low, paired hoot, often given at night. Its population has not been counted, but its range is huge. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
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 1600. From the Marco Polo ferry, on a two-hour trip along the Orteguaza River, passengers see the Hacha River flow into the Orteguaza and watch for birds.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Rufescent Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2022), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List