Southern Caracara

Description:

The Southern Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus), also known as the Southern Caracara or Carancho, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The classification of this species and name have evolved. It was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. The use of the name formerly extended to two subspecies: 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 the name is presently defined, the range of the Southern Caracara is restricted to central and southern South America.

Habitat:

The Southern Crested Caracara occurs from Tierra del Fuego in southernmost South America north to the Amazon River region and southern Peru. An isolated population occurs on the Falkland Islands. It avoids the Andean highlands and dense humid forest, such as the Amazon rainforest, where it is largely restricted to relatively open sections along major rivers. Otherwise, it occurs in virtually any open or semi-open habitat and is often found near humans.