Caracara

Caracara
Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae Subfamily: Polyborinae
Genera
Daptrius Ibycter Phalcoboenus Caracara Milvago

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 sluggish and often scavengers (a notable exception being the Red-throated Caracara).

The species are:

• Black Caracara, Daptrius ater
• Red-throated Caracara, Ibycter americanus - formerly in Daptrius
• Carunculated Caracara, Phalcoboenus carunculatus
• Mountain Caracara, Phalcoboenus megalopterus
• White-throated Caracara, Phalcoboenus albogularis
• Striated Caracara, Phalcoboenus australis
• Northern (or Crested) Caracara, Caracara cheriway
• Southern Caracara, Caracara plancus
• Guadalupe Caracara, Caracara lutosa (extinct)
• Yellow-headed Caracara, Milvago chimachima
• Chimango Caracara, Milvago chimango

[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

Information on Florida Caracara