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FALCONS AND CARACARAS -
FALCONIDAE
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Black Caracara
Daptrius ater Shiripuno Lodge, Pastaza province, Ecuador. |
 | Carunculated Caracara Phalcoboenus carunculatus Antisana reserve, Napo province, Ecuador. An
adult bird feeding in the páramo, scratching at the ground for insects
and worms. The name "Caruculated" comes from the wrinkled appearance to
its facial skin, which can be seen in this shot. |
 | Carunculated Caracara Phalcoboenus carunculatus Antisana reserve, Napo province, Ecuador. A
juvenile, which is very similar to the juvenile of Mountain Caracara,
which replaces it from southern Ecuador southward. This bird has a
glossy tinge to its plumage, which I suspect means it is an older bird
than the Mountain Caracara below. |
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Mountain Caracara
Phalcoboenus megalopterus
Machu Picchu, Cusco department, Peru.
A juvenile scavenging in the ruins. |
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Southern Caracara
Caracara plancus
Rio Sosa valley, Tucuman province, Argentina.
Southern birds are now split off, but plumage differences are minor, and not obvious in this photo. |
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Yellow-headed Caracara
Milvago chimachima chimachima
Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
A juvenile on the left, which is noticeably bigger
than the parent on the right. This suggests that the juvenile is a
female and the adult is a male. |
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Spot-winged Falconet
Spiziapteryx circumcincta
Cruz del Eje, Córdoba province, Argentina.
An odd monotypic genus of the chaco region of southern South America. |
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Spot-winged Falconet
Spiziapteryx circumcincta
Cruz del Eje, Córdoba province, Argentina.
The same bird at a different angle. | | American Kestrel
Falco sparverius peruvianus
Abra Patricia, San Martín department, Peru.
Male. |

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Merlin Falco columbarius columbarius(?) Parque La Florida, Bogotá, Colombia. Merlins
are uncommon to rare winter residents in northern South America. This
is an unusually high record at 2500 m above sea level. |
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Bat Falcon
Falco rufigularis ophryophanes
Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Gross state, Brazil.
It was catching insects over the Veu de Noiva waterfall at dusk. This was digiscoped with about a 1/2 second exposure. |
 | Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (ssp. unknown) Virgen del Socorro, Heredia province, Costa Rica. |
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