Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae)
Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus) - HBW 2, p. 250
French: Caracara huppé
German: Schopfkarakara
Spanish: Caracara Carancho
Other common names: Common Caracara; Guadalupe Caracara (lutosus)
Taxonomy: Falco plancus J. F. Miller, 1777, Tierra del Fuego.
Recent proposal to replace traditional genus name Polyborus with Caracara on grounds of indeterminate type description, but Polyborus should be retained (see page 219). Closely related to Phalcoboenus, and less closely to Milvago, both of which genera sometimes included within Polyborus. Extinct form lutosus of Guadalupe I (off W Mexico) frequently treated as full species, but now generally considered a race of P. plancus. Race audubonii of doubtful validity, and often merged with cheriway; race ammophilus described.. View all taxonomy...
Recent proposal to replace traditional genus name Polyborus with Caracara on grounds of indeterminate type description, but Polyborus should be retained (see page 219). Closely related to Phalcoboenus, and less closely to Milvago, both of which genera sometimes included within Polyborus. Extinct form lutosus of Guadalupe I (off W Mexico) frequently treated as full species, but now generally considered a race of P. plancus. Race audubonii of doubtful validity, and often merged with cheriway; race ammophilus described from W Mexico, but even more dubious, and normally included within audubonii. Four extant subspecies usually recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- pallidus Nelson, 1898 - Tres Marías Is, off W Mexico.
- audubonii Cassin, 1865 - S USA (Florida; Texas to Arizona) through Central America to W Panama; Cuba, I of Pines.
- cheriway (Jacquin, 1784) - E Panama through C & E Colombia to the Guianas and S to N Peru and R Amazon; Aruba (Netherlands Antilles) E to Trinidad.
- plancus (J. F. Miller, 1777) - C Peru and C Bolivia E to Amazon Delta and S to Tierra del Fuego; Falkland Is.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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An immature turning over soil and dry grass, and eating earthworms Locality New Island, Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (ssp plancus)
Laurent Demongin 22 November 2008 4 years ago 1 min 7 sec 4.8 -
An adult bird walking and looking for food Locality Pousada Aguapé, Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil (ssp plancus)
Josep del Hoyo 9 January 2005 5 years ago 40 sec 4.8 -
An adult bird walking, running once and feeding Locality Pousada Aguapé, Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil (ssp plancus)
Josep del Hoyo 9 January 2005 5 years ago 46 sec 4.7 -
A Crested Caracara being preened by Black Vultures Locality Los Tarrales Private Reserve, Suchitepéquez Department, Guatemala
Juan Sanabria 1 November 2012 19 weeks ago 1 min 4.7 -
Adult walking on a sand road Locality Hato El Cedral, Apure State, Venezuela
Thore Noernberg 18 July 2012 42 weeks ago 23 sec 4.6 -
A head detail of an adult bird under the rain Locality Termas de Puyehue, Puyehue National Park, Chile (ssp plancus)
Frank Witebsky 2005 5 years ago 30 sec 4.6
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Caracara
Locality São Vicente, São Paulo State, Brazil
Lindolfo Souto 26 June 2012 23 weeks ago 4.4 -
Adult flying over a sazonal humid grassland.
Locality Itirapina Ecological Station, Itirapina, São Paulo State, Brazil (ssp plancus)
José Carlos Motta-Junior 30 October 2012 28 weeks ago 4.4 -
close up of a bird
Locality Huila Department, Colombia
mauricio rueda 31 December 2009 3 years ago 4.4 -
A bird carrying a dead toad.
Locality El Relleno, Pérez Zeledón, San José Province, Costa Rica (ssp audubonii)
manuel retana 13 October 2010 2 years ago 4.3 -
Pair copulating while female continues to eat lizard
Locality Pantanal, Mato Grosso State, Brazil
Ian Barker 9 June 2010 2 years ago 4.2 -
Adult resting on the vegetation.
Locality Carcass Island, Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (ssp plancus)
Christophe Gouraud 22 January 2013 6 weeks ago 4.2
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A juvenil calls near a couple of adults, and after fly. Locality Cantareira State Park, São Paulo State, Brazil
Antonio Silveira 19 January 2013 17 weeks ago 5 -
calls on taking flight Locality Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil
(Monotypic species)
Jeremy Minns 15 January 2000 3 years ago 0
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