The Story
This Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta) was at Ecoparque Los Alcázares in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia when I photographed it. The sexes look alike, though the female is usually smaller and shorter-billed. It is found in the mountains of Colombia, Ecuador, western Venezuela, Peru and northern Bolivia. It mainly lives inside humid montane forest but also uses forest edges and more open country. In flight its wings make a whirring sound. More than 176 bird species have been recorded at the ecoparque, a number that can reach about 230 during migration, along with 40 mammals. IUCN lists the Southern Emerald-Toucanet 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 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. The ecoparque works to protect the wildlife that moves along Manizales’ natural corridors and to help restore the city’s ecological capital.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta) belongs to the family Ramphastidae (Toucans) 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