The Story
I made this photo of a Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) at Ecohotel La Fortuna in Yopal, Casanare, Colombia. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Juveniles have a dark back with a brown head and underside. Because of its looks it was often grouped with the tiger herons. It lives on the ground along creeks, streams and wetlands inside the forest, from sea level to about 800 meters. It feeds on small fish and invertebrates. Yopal is the capital of Casanare.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/13 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400. IUCN lists the Zigzag Heron as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) 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 2022), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List