Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Jerry Cooper, Marcelo Bombaci,
Alberto Esquivel, Silvia Centrón, Frank Fragano and José Luis Cartes and is used with their permission.
SOUTHERN CRESTED-CARACARA Caracara plancus
The distinctive Southern Crested-Caracara looks like he is wearing a flat cap. Actually a falcon, over evolutionary time he has given up the rapid pursuit hunting of his relatives in exchange for the scavenging lifestyle of a vulture - almost like giving up being a Formula 1 racing driver to become a garbage man! Caracaras are common in much of the country, especially along the Ruta Trans-Chaco where a huge quantity of daily roadkill ensures that they never go hungry!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE3800PH) Adult with flushed red lores, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith November 2012).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE3801PH) Adult lateral view with orange lores, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE3802PH) Same individual (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3803PH) Adult, Bahía de Asunción, Departamento Central (Frank Fragano undated).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE3804PH) Adult dorsal view, Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraná (Sylvia Centrón July 2007).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE3805PH) Two adults at a carcass - note the different cere colours which change for signalling purposes, Lolita, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE3806PH) Juvenile ventral, Bahía de Asunción, Departamento Central (Frank Fragano undated).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE3807PH) Juvenile lateral, location unknown (Marcelo Bombaci September 2007).
FIGURE 9 - (FPAVE3808PH) Adult on nest, location unknown (José Luis Cartes undated).
FIGURE 10 - (FPAVE3809PH) Adult taking flight, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Alberto Esquivel November 2007).
FIGURE 11 - (FPAVE3810PH) Adult in flight, location unknown (Jerry Cooper October 2007).
VIDEO A - (FPAVE3812VI) Same adult as (FPAVE3800PH) (Paul Smith November 2012).
VIDEO B - (FPAVE3813VI) Same individuals as (FPAVE3805PH) (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5

FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6

FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7

FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8

FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9

FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10

FIGURE 10
FIGURE 11

FIGURE 11
Caracara plancus
1 (FPAVE3811RE) call  recorded Laguna Bombacha, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.