The Story
I photographed this Scaled Piculet (Picumnus squamulatus) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Scaled Piculet feeds on small insects. It lives up to about 1,900 meters and, as far as is known, is a year-round resident. La Palmita is a civil-society nature reserve in Trinidad that protects about 400 hectares of flooded savanna and 250 hectares of forest. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Scaled Piculet as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640. La Palmita conserves its flooded savannas through its cattle ranching and has welcomed visitors since 2013, so every stay supports sustainable tourism in the region.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Scaled Piculet (Picumnus squamulatus) belongs to the family Picidae (Woodpeckers) 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List