The Story
I made this photo of a White-winged Swallow (Tachycineta albiventer) at Reserva Natural El Encanto de Guanapalo in Casanare, Colombia. The White-winged Swallow is a resident swallow of tropical South America. It is usually found in lowlands along rivers and lakes. Its call is a harsh chirrup or a rising, buzzy zweeed. El Encanto de Guanapalo brings together three ranches, Mata de Palma, Altamira and Montana, in a reserve of almost 9,000 hectares of flooded savanna and gallery forest in San Luis de Palenque. IUCN lists the White-winged Swallow as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. The families who run its ranches work to keep the savanna from being cleared, burned or plowed, and to keep llanero culture alive for the next generation.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The White-winged Swallow (Tachycineta albiventer) belongs to the family Hirundinidae (Swallows) 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