The Story
This Whistling Heron (Syrigma sibilatrix) was at La Macarena, Meta, Colombia when I photographed it. It accepts human-altered habitats such as pastures and roadsides and often perches on fence posts. It usually feeds alone or in pairs, but groups of up to 100 sometimes gather before roosting. Unlike most herons, it nests alone rather than in colonies. It roosts in trees, so it especially likes places where open ground is mixed with woodlots. La Macarena is part of the Sierra de la Macarena and of the Macarena Special Management Area, which brings together several protected areas.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200, +0.3 EV. IUCN lists the Whistling Heron as Least Concern, with a stable population.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Whistling Heron (Syrigma sibilatrix) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) 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