Black-necked red cotinga, Caquetá, Colombia

And there it is, the crown jewel. The primary target bird of our Amazonian section of the trip. After 3 days of wading through dark muddy forests, it had crushed our hopes. Just as we concluded to end the session empty-handed once more and head back, it responded to our last desperate call with a brief open perch.

This bird in theory has a large distribution, but in practise is rarely seen and photographed. This is the male of the species, notable for its bright feathers. So bright and stunning that it adds hunting pressure.