The Story
I photographed this Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. The Yellow-rumped Cacique is mostly black, with a bright yellow rump, tail base, lower belly and wing patches. The females build the hanging nests, 30 to 45 centimeters long, at the ends of branches, and they compete for sites near wasp nests. The male’s song mixes fluting notes with cackles and wheezes, sometimes with mimicry. 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-rumped Cacique 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 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500. 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-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela) belongs to the family Icteridae (Troupials and Allies) 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 decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List