#caracaras

[snototter]

A crested caracara (Caracara plancus) in Florida, USA

by Matthew Paulson

[antiqueanimals]

Florida Wildlife; vol. 11, no. 7. December, 1957. Illustration by Wallace Hughes.

Internet Archive

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Yellow-headed Caracara

Photo: Bart van Dorp

"The Yellow-headed Caracara has been known to glean ticks and other insects from the backs of cows, tapirs, capybara, and even an iguana! There are two recognized subspecies of the Yellow-headed Caracara. This species is one of a few raptors that has been documented feeding on fruit!"

- The Peregrine Fund

[ornithrallogy]

the Crested Caracara ( Caracara cheriway )

A bold scavenger and close relative of the falcon, the Crested Caracara is a bold, low-flying bird of prey whom makes full use of roadkill and carcasses that scatter prairies and roadways, even if it means displacing the competing vultures that got there first. As they feed, their bright yellow crop is distended from their gullet to indicate that the bird has recently eaten. They’re common sights throughout the southern USA and many parts of Mexico.

These birds may be spotted alone, in pairs, or with a family unit of three to five members, and unlike their falcon cousins, who lay their clutches of eggs in simple scrapes or modified nests of other species, a mated Caracara pair will construct a nest of their own.

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[thalassarche]

Chimango Caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango) - photo by Leonardo Weyer

[fortheloveofcows]

These oranges are amazing. That’s all. 🍊 #day84 #100happydays #oranges #caracaras

[antiqueanimals]

The Naturalist in La Plata. Written by W. H. Hudson. Illustration by Joseph Smit. 1922.

Internet Archive

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Crested Caracara

Photo: Manjith Kainickara

"Related to the typical falcons, but very different in shape and habits. The Crested Caracara is a strikingly patterned, broad-winged opportunist that often feeds on carrion. Aggressive, it may chase vultures away from road kills. Widespread in the American tropics, it enters our area only near the Mexican border and in Florida. 'Caracara' comes from a South American Indian name, based on the bird's call."

- Audubon Field Guide