The Story
I photographed this Yellow-headed Caracara (Daptrius chimachima) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Yellow-headed Caracara colonizes cleared areas within its range. It has even been seen picking small invertebrates from the fur of Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths. It is omnivorous and relies heavily on scavenging. Its diet includes carrion, insects, crabs, fish, reptiles, amphibians, bird eggs and fruit. It takes much of its food while walking on the ground. La Palmita is a civil-society nature reserve in Trinidad that protects about 400 hectares of flooded savanna and 250 hectares of forest. IUCN lists the Yellow-headed Caracara as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800. La Palmita conserves its flooded savannas through its cattle ranching and has welcomed visitors since 2013, so every stay supports sustainable tourism in the region.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Yellow-headed Caracara (Daptrius chimachima) belongs to the family Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List