Crested Caracara ( Caracara (Polyborus) plancus )
- Sent by Rodrigo Girardi Santiago - 05/02/2007
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58 cm in length, 125cm of wingspan. The beak and the claws are weak for a bird of prey. The legs are tall and yellow. The upper parts are black and the chest and throat are white. There is a large white spot in the inferior side near the tip of the wing. The immature is brown and striated.
Distribution:
From Florida (U.S.A) to Tierra del Fuego.
Habitat:
Thrives in any open landscape, sometimes urban areas.
Diet:
It is generalist. Eats either live animals or carrion. Catches insects, snails, worms, lizards, snakes, birds. Follows tractors in crops looking for earthworms.. Sometimes eats fruits, peanuts and beans.
Reproduction:
Builds a big nest on the top of tall trees. Lays three eggs, sometimes four, but generally only the strongest one survives.
Despite of its impressive appearance most of the time it is nothing but an opportunist scavenger. Anytime there is a fire in grasslands it comes to eat the burnt animals. In the Brazilian folklore it is a symbol bad luck. Some tribes use its feathers for ornamental purposes.
