Southern Caracara pictures from wildlife photos on webshots

Album Info:

Uploaded by: arina223

In album: Our feathered friends

In Webshots channel: outdoors
Tags: Wildlife, zoo, outdoors, see more...
Date uploaded: Feb 10, 2008

Also known as the Southern Crested Caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A bold, opportunistic raptor, often seen walking around on the ground looking for food. Mainly feeds on carcasses of dead animals, but will steal food from other raptors, raid bird nests, and take live prey if the possible arrives (mostly insects or other small prey, but at least up to the size of a Snowy Egret). It is typically solitary, but several individuals may gather at a large food-source. It has a total length of 50-65 cm (20-26 in) and a wing-span of c. 120 cm (47 in). Individuals from the colder southern part of its range average larger than those from tropical regions. The cap, belly, thights, most of the wings and tail-tip are dark brownish, the auriculars, throat and nape are whitish-buff, and the chest, neck, mantle, back, uppertail-coverts, crissum and basal part of the tail are whitish-buff barred dark brownish. The legs are yellow and the bare facial skin and cere are deep yellow to reddish-orange. Juveniles resemble adults, but are paler, with streaking on the chest, neck and back, grey legs, and whitish, later pinkish-purple, facial skin and cere.

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