Caracara
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| Caracara | ||||||||||||
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 Mountain Caracara
Phalcoboenus megalopterus |
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Caracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. They are principally birds of South and Central America, just reaching the southern USA.
Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, the birds in the five relevant genera are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are comparably slow and often scavengers (a notable exception being the Red-throated Caracara).
The species are:
- Daptrius
- Black Caracara, Daptrius ater
- Ibycter
- Red-throated Caracara, Ibycter americanus - formerly in Daptrius
- Phalcoboenus
- Carunculated Caracara, Phalcoboenus carunculatus
- Mountain Caracara, Phalcoboenus megalopterus
- White-throated Caracara, Phalcoboenus albogularis
- Striated Caracara, Phalcoboenus australis
- Caracara
- Northern (or Crested) Caracara, Caracara cheriway
- Southern Caracara, Caracara plancus
- Guadalupe Caracara, Caracara lutosa (extinct)
- Milvago
- Yellow-headed Caracara, Milvago chimachima
- Chimango Caracara, Milvago chimango
[edit] Occurrence
This species occurs on the Patagonian steppes in southern South America, and is also found in arid mountain forests of central Chile and Argentina. It is further found in northern South America and into Central America.
[edit] See also
- Carakiller, hypothetical descendant of the caracara in the television show The Future Is Wild.
- Flexiraptor, a prehistoric bird of prey somewhat convergent to the caracaras.
[edit] External links
- Caracara videos on the Internet Bird Collection
