The Story
I made this photo of a Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The male’s loud, low call is answered by the female’s higher one, and pairs often repeat it in close synchrony. It walks along branches looking for the fruit, leaves and seeds it feeds on. Its twig nest is built low in a tree. It belongs to the Cracidae, an ancient family of birds. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Rufous-vented Chachalaca as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2000. 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 Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) belongs to the family Cracidae (Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2023), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List