The Story
I photographed this White-eared Jacamar (Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis) at the Malecón Turístico, the riverfront promenade of San José del Guaviare, Guaviare, Colombia, in February 2021. It is almost entirely reddish-chestnut, with a bronzy gloss on the crown, wings and tail, large white ear coverts and a robust bill. Its range in the upper Amazon begins in Meta and runs south through eastern Ecuador to northeastern Peru, up to about 500 meters. 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 1/350 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200. San José del Guaviare is often called the gateway to the Colombian Amazon, and fast boats from the town reach the Raudal del Guayabero, about 38 kilometers away.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The White-eared Jacamar (Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis) belongs to the family Galbulidae (Jacamars) 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