The Story
I photographed this Russet-throated Puffbird (Hypnelus ruficollis) in Taganga, near Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia, at about 60 meters. It is found only in Colombia and Venezuela, up to about 1,300 meters in Colombia. It eats mostly insects, along with small lizards and some fruit. It usually digs its nest burrow into a termite nest in a tree, and its song is a series of rhythmic woduk notes that rises and falls for up to 20 seconds, often at dawn. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/60 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, +0.5 EV. Taganga and Santa Marta, both founded in 1525, are two of the oldest remaining colonial settlements in Colombia.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Russet-throated Puffbird (Hypnelus ruficollis) belongs to the family Bucconidae (Puffbirds) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List