Return of Bird of the Week: Chimango Caracara
There are about ten species of Caracara, spread across five genera. Here’s another. The Chimango Caracara is found in the southern half of South America, from southern Brazil to the tip of Argentina. It’s a smaller, somewhat drabber member of the subfamily, and, at least in Tierra del Fuego, fills the ecological niche of ravens and vultures: it’s mostly a scavenger and opportunistic predator, and a generalist, eating everything from bugs to dead cattle. The apparent apron in this photo is a consequence of the strong wind blowing from behind the bird. The wind is usually blowing strongly in Tierra…
Return of Bird of the Week: Chimango Caracara
There don’t seem to be any corvids – the family of birds that includes crows and ravens – in far southern South America. Their ecological niche in North America is filled by falcons, and especially by the Chimango Caracara. An adult bird is about 18 inches long. It’s behavior, at least for the birds WC saw, was strikingly like a Common Raven: bold, habituated to people and opportunistic. For example, it hangs around campgrounds and has been known to steal unattended food. Despite being one of the most common diurnal raptors in southern South America, there hasn’t been a lot…