Southern Crested Caracara

Southern Crested Caracara

The Southern Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus), also known as the Southern Caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It formerly included the Northern Caracara (C. cheriway) of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara (C. lutosa) as subspecies. As presently defined, the Southern Caracara is restricted to central and southern South America. As its relatives, it was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus.It has a total length of 50–65 cm (20–26 in) and a wingspan of 120-132 cm (47-52 in). Weight is 0.9-1.6 kg (2-3.5 lbs).Individuals from the colder southern part of its range average larger than those from tropical regions (as predicted by Bergmann's rule) and are the largest type of caracara. The cap, belly, thighs, 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. In flight, the outer primaries show a large conspicuous whitish-buff patch ('window'), as in several other species of caracaras. 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.

It can be separated from the similar Northern Caracara by its more extensive barring on the chest, brownish and often lightly mottled/barred scapulars (all blackish in Northern), and pale lower back with dark barring (uniform blackish in Northern). Individuals showing intermediate features are known from the small area of contact in north-central Brazil, but intergradation between the two species is generally limited.