The Story
I photographed this Violaceous Jay (Cyanocorax violaceus) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Violaceous Jay’s range runs through western Brazil, the eastern half of Colombia, eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru into northern Bolivia. In Brazil it lives up to about 1,000 meters. It feeds mainly on fruit, arthropods and eggs, and it has been seen eating lizards. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Violaceous Jay 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 1/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400. 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 Violaceous Jay (Cyanocorax violaceus) belongs to the family Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies) 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