FALCONS AND CARACARAS   -   FALCONIDAE

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.

Mountain Caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus Machu Picchu, Cusco department, Peru. A juvenile scavenging in the ruins.

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.

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.

Spot-winged Falconet Spiziapteryx circumcincta Cruz del Eje, Córdoba province, Argentina. An odd monotypic genus of the chaco region of southern South America.

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.

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.		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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