Northern Caracara

Taxobox
name = Northern Caracara
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_width = 200px
image_caption = Northern Caracara in Texas, USA.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Falconiformes
familia = Falconidae
genus = "Caracara"
species = "C. cheriway"
binomial = "Caracara cheriway"
binomial_authority = (Jacquin, 1784)
synonyms = "Polyborus cheriway" "Polyborus plancus cheriway"

"Caracara plancus cheriway"

"Polyborus tharus" [Carla J. Dove and Richard C. Banks, (1999). [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v111n03/p0330-p0339.pdf "A Taxonomic Study of Crested Caracaras (Falconidae)"] , "Wilson Bull.", 111(3) pp. 330-339 ]

The Northern Caracara or Northern Crested Caracara ("Caracara cheriway"), called Audubon's Caracara in former times, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Southern Caracara ("C. plancus") and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara ("C. lutosus") as "Crested Caracara" - a name still commonly used for the Northern Caracara. [ [http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3 AOU Check-list of North American Birds.] 7th edition w. supplements. Accessed 2008-04-26] [ [http://www.aba.org/checklist/abachecklist.pdf ABA Check-list (PDF).] Version 6.8. Accessed 2008-04-26] [Clements, J. F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World. 6th edition. Christopher Helm. ISBN 9780713686951] As its relatives, the Northern Caracara was formerly placed in the genus "Polyborus". Unlike the "Falco" falcons in the same family, the caracaras are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are rather sluggish and often scavengers.

The Northern Caracara is a resident breeder in northern South America and most of Central America, just reaching the southernmost parts of the USA, including Florida, where it is resident but listed as threatened. South of the US border, it is a commonly seen large raptor.

This is a bird of open country, which nests in a tree or on the ground, laying 2 to 4 eggs. It is 58 cm (23 in) long with a 125 cm (4 ft) wingspan. Individuals have also been observed both in the air and on the ground in urban areas near nature reserves.

The Northern Caracara is broad-winged and long-tailed. It also has long legs and frequently walks and runs on the ground. It is very cross-shaped in flight. The adult has a black body, wings, crest and crown. The neck, rump, and conspicuous wing patches are white, and the tail is white with black barring and a broad terminal band. The breast is white, finely barred with black. The bill is thick, grey and hooked, and the cere is red. This species has bare skin around the eye that can change color in seconds. Sexes are similar, but immature birds have a brown back, buff neck and throat, and pale breast streaked with brown. The voice of this species is a low rattle.

The Northern Caracara is omnivorous, and will eat reptiles, amphibians and other small animals as well as carrion.

This bird is the national bird of Mexico, though many mistakenly believe it to be the Golden Eagle.

Though the Northern Caracaras of our time are not divided into subspecies as their variation is clinal, prehistoric subspecies are known. Due to the confused taxonomic history of the crested caracaras, their relationships to the modern birds are in need of restudy:

* "Caracara cheriway grinnelli" (La Brea Caracara: Late Pleistocene of California)
* "Caracara cheriway prelutosus" (Late Pleistocene of Mexico)

The former almost certainly represents birds which were the direct ancestors of the living population. The latter may actually be the ancestor of the Guadalupe Caracara.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links

* [http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?allSpecies=y&searchText=crested%20caracara eNature.com page with photograph and sound]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=639074803685587326&hl=en VIDEO: Crested Caracara walking in grass]
* [http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/CountryIndex.htm#M National Birds]
* [http://caracara.fieldguideflorida.com Florida's Northern Caracara]