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FALCONS AND CARACARAS - FALCONIDAE
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Laughing Falcon
Herpetotheres
cachinnans cachinnans Tayrona NP, Magdalena department, Colombia.
The masked bandit of the Neotropics. It's a
very
widespread species occurring from Mexico to southern Brazil and
northern Argentina. It feeds mainly on snakes. (S6) |
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Barred Forest-Falcon
Micrastur
ruficollis
interstes
Mangaloma reserve, Pichincha province, Ecuador.
Juvenile. Some juveniles, like this one, are
buffy below,
others are more pure white. All juveniles have incomplete barring
on their underparts and a partial white collar. (S6) |
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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. (D3) |
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Spot-winged Falconet
Spiziapteryx
circumcincta
Cruz del Eje, Córdoba province, Argentina.
The same bird at a different angle. (D3) |
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Southern Caracara
Caracara
plancus
Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile.
Southern birds are now split off,
but plumage differences
are minor, and not obvious in this photo. (S5) |
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Southern
Caracara
Caracara
plancus
Fazenda Santa Tereza (Pantanal lodge), Mato Grosso state,
Brazil.
Juvenile. (D4) |
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Red-throated
Caracara
Ibycter
americanus
Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia.
This bird is fairly widespread in tropical lowland rainforest. It has
one of the most unique voices of all Neotropical birds, one of my
favorites. I won't try to describe, but there is a sample below. (S6)
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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. (S4) |
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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. (S4) |
 | Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus Cumbremayo, Cajamarca department, Peru. (S6) |
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Mountain Caracara
Phalcoboenus
megalopterus
Machu Picchu, Cusco department, Peru.
A juvenile scavenging in the ruins. (P1) |
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White-throated
Caracara
Phalcoboenus
albogularis
Las Cumbres, Region XII, Chile.
A distant shot of one of the rarest of the
caracaras. It
is found only in the windswept Patagonian Andes above about 500 m
elevation. This one was eating a severed sheep head on the side
of the road! (S5). |
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Black Caracara
Daptrius ater
Shiripuno Lodge, Pastaza province, Ecuador.
(D3) |
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Black
Caracara
Daptrius ater
Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato
Grosso state,
Brazil.
The yellow-faced bird on the right is a
juvenile. It has
white frosting on its breast and belly and a lot of white on the
undertail coverts. (S6) |
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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. (D3) |
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Chimango
Caracara
Milvago
chimango
chimango
Quinta, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.
(D4) |
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American Kestrel
Falco
sparverius
peruvianus
Abra Patricia, San Martín department, Peru.
Male. (D2) |

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Orange-breasted
Falcon
Falco
deiroleucus
Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso
state, Brazil.
Probably a male due to
small size. The larger feet and talons, bulkier shape, and coarse
black and buff barring on the vest separate this species from the
often very similar Bat Falcon F.
rufigularis (compare with the
photo to the right). Bat Falcons can also show a lot of rufous on
the breast and side of neck, so that is not really a good feature
to use - just look at it's latin name! (S6) |
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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.
(D2) |

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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.
(D3) |
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Peregrine Falcon
Falco
peregrinus (ssp.
unknown)
Virgen del Socorro, Heredia province, Costa Rica.
(D2) |
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