Copyright monacoeye • Amazonia, Brazil, August.

Bird name: Black Caracara
Latin: Daptrius ater
Other: Gavião-de-anta (Br) • Caracara negro (Es), chupacacao negro, cacao negro
Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras
Range: Amazonia: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.
Similar:

I saw Black Caracaras in Amazonia in Brazil and Ecuador. Adults are black birds with red-orange face masks, juveniles have a yellow face. Unmistakeable. Like other caracaras, often in groups.

Below, a perched Black Caracara in Para, Brazil, August.
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Copyright monacoeye • Amazonia, Brazil.

Bird name: Red Throated Caracara
Latin: Ibycter americanus
Other: Gralhão, cancão-grande (Br) • Chupacacao de vientre blanco (Es)
Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras
Range: Mexico to Brazil
Similar:

The Red-throated Caracara is a great looking bird - I only saw them once and at some distance, so just record shots here. They were very vocal.

Unlike other caracaras the Red-throated Caracara mostly feeds on bee and wasp larvae, also other insects and fruit.

Below, group of Red-throated Caracaras in Para, Brazil.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Southern Crested Caracara
Latin: Caracara plancus
Other: Southern Caracara • Caracará, carancho (Br) • Carancho, caricari, caracara moñudo, carcaña, guarro, moñudo. traro (Es)
Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras
Range: South America, south of the Amazon, excluding highlands.
Similar:

The Southern Crested Caracaras near Lagoa do Peixe flew above the marshes, which are densely populated with nesting birds, such as swallows, lapwing and other waders. The one above, which was flying around with a stolen egg, was being mobbed by Southern Lapwing and sheltered by a fence, where they were unable to dive-bomb him, as he tucked in to his breakfast.

Another pair were seen nesting on the top of the largest tree around.

They are quickly identifiable by their large orange-red and blue bill area, barred chest, some barring on wings, light patches at end of wings, but tips dark. White lightly-barred tail with dark band at end. Yellow legs. Further below a Southern Crested Caracara with yellowish bill, seen in the Pantanal - I think this must be a young adult.

Southern Crested Caracaras visited feeders at Curicaca Lodge in the Pantanal every day. They were often visible around the lodge, eating scraps or finding carrion.

Below, Southern Caracara has raided an egg, Mostardas, RS, Brazil, November.


Below, Southern Crested Caracara, Pantanal, Brazil, Aug 2012
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Copyright: monacoeye • Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Chimango Caracara
Latin: Milvago chimango
Other: Chimango (Br) • Chimango (Es), Caracara chimango, Tiuque, Chiuque
Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras
Range: Southern states of Brazil and southern parts of South America
Similar: Yellow-headed Caracara juvenile

The Chimango Caracara was the most common caracara near Mostardas. Seen flying above marshes, mobbed by swallows and lapwing, perching on posts with food, standing in road.

The Chimango Caracara is mottled brown, with a stripe behind the eye, like the Yellow-headed Caracara but not as strong or long. Indeed the Chimango is darker in the head and body than the Yellow-Headed Caracara.

It has white patches near the ends of the wings, fingers are white underneath but tips dark seen from above. Tail is light and faintly barred with a dark terminal strip. Bill can show pinkish-red colour at base.

Below, Chimago Caracara, Mostardas, Brazil, November
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Copyright monacoeye • Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Yellow Headed Caracara
Latin: Milvago chimachima
Other: Carrapateiro (Br) • Chimachimá (Es)
Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras
Range: Central and South America; widespread Brazil.
Similar: Juvenile Chimango Caracara

Near Lagoa do Peixe in November the Yellow-headed Caracara was much less common than the Chimango Caracara and seemed to stay near wooded areas rather than open marshland. It is associated with farmland.

Its distinguishing feature is a dark line running behind the eye. Its body and head is mostly light yellowish brown. Lower areas of underside of wings are barred and there are white panels near the end of wings with dark fingers. Upperside of wings is dark brown with white panels. Tail is lightly barred with dark tip. Immature Yellow-headed Caracaras are more barred on body and neck.

The Brazilian name Carrapateiro is derived from Carrapato, which means tick, as the Yellow-headed Caracara is known to pick ticks off cattle.

Below, Yellow-headed Caracara, Brazil


Below, Yellow-headed Caracara, Panama, March
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Copyright monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August.

Bird name: Laughing Falcon
Latin: Herpetotheres cachinnans
Other: Acauã (Br) • Halcón reidor (Es), halcón guaco, halcón risueño, guaicurú, guaco
Family: Falconidae • Falcons
Range: Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil to Argentina
Similar:

No mistaking the Laughing Falcon, with its light underside and large black eye mask. When perched it appears to have a “flat-top” haircut. A specialist snake-eater. Seen in the Pantanal at Pouse Alegre.

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038 Family: Falconidae • Falcons, Caracaras, Kestrels, Hobbies - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Falconidae are not Accipitriformes, but more closely related to parrots.

Daptrius ater - Black Caracara - Amazonia

Ibycter americanus - Red-throated Caracara - S Mexico to S Brazil

Phalcoboenus carunculatus - Carunculated Caracara - Ecuador, SW Colombia
Phalcoboenus megalopterus - Mountain Caracara - Peru to C Chile
Phalcoboenus albogularis - White-throated Caracara - S Chile, S Argentina
Phalcoboenus australis - Striated Caracara - S islands

Caracara cheriway - Northern Crested Caracara - S USA to N South America
Caracara plancus - Southern Crested Caracara - S, SC South America

Milvago chimachima - Yellow-headed Caracara - Costa Rica to N Argentina
Milvago chimango - Chimango Caracara - Southern Cone

Herpetotheres cachinnans - Laughing Falcon - Mexico to N Argentina

Micrastur ruficollis - Barred Forest Falcon - S Mexico to N Argentina
Micrastur plumbeus - Plumbeous Forest Falcon - SW Colombia, NW Ecuador
Micrastur gilvicollis - Lined Forest Falcon - Amazonia
Micrastur mintoni - Cryptic Forest Falcon - E Amazonia S to Bolivia
Micrastur mirandollei - Slaty-backed Forest Falcon - Costa Rica to E Brazil
Micrastur semitorquatus - Collared Forest Falcon - C Mexico to N Argentina
Micrastur buckleyi - Buckley's Forest Falcon - W Amazonia

Spiziapteryx circumcincta - Spot-winged Falconet - SC South America

Polihierax semitorquatus - Pygmy Falcon - E, S Africa
Polihierax insignis - White-rumped Falcon - Southeast Asia

Microhierax caerulescens - Collared Falconet - NE India through Southeast Asia
Microhierax fringillarius - Black-thighed Falconet - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas
Microhierax latifrons - White-fronted Falconet - Borneo
Microhierax erythrogenys - Philippine Falconet - Philippines
Microhierax melanoleucos - Pied Falconet - NE India to S China & C Vietnam

Falco naumanni - Lesser Kestrel - SW, C, E Eurasia - Africa
Falco tinnunculus - Common Kestrel - Widespread Eurasia, Africa - Asia
Falco rupicolus - Rock Kestrel - S Africa - Split from F. tinnunculus
Falco newtoni - Malagasy Kestrel - Madagascar, Aldabra Island
Falco punctatus - Mauritius Kestrel - Mauritius
Falco araeus - Seychelles Kestrel - Seychelles Islands
Falco moluccensis - Spotted Kestrel - Moluccas, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas, Java & Bali
Falco cenchroides - Nankeen Kestrel - Widespread Australasia
Falco sparverius - American Kestrel - Widespread North America, Latin America
Falco rupicoloides - Greater Kestrel - E, S Africa
Falco alopex - Fox Kestrel - C, W Africa
Falco ardosiaceus - Grey Kestrel - C, W, SW Africa
Falco dickinsoni - Dickinson's Kestrel - SC, SE Africa
Falco zoniventris - Banded Kestrel - Madagascar
Falco chicquera - Red-necked Falcon - C, W, S Africa, India
Falco vespertinus - Red-footed Falcon - C Eurasia - S Africa
Falco amurensis - Amur Falcon - E Eurasia - SE Africa
Falco eleonorae - Eleonora's Falcon - S Europe, Eurasia, also N Africa - E Africa, Madagascar
Falco concolor - Sooty Falcon - E Libya to SW Pakistan - SE Africa, Madagascar
Falco femoralis - Aplomado Falcon - Widespread Latin America
Falco columbarius - Merlin - Widespread North America, Eurasia - N Asia, N Latin America
Falco rufigularis - Bat Falcon - N Mexico to NE Argentina
Falco deiroleucus - Orange-breasted Falcon - S Mexico to NE Argentina
Falco subbuteo - Eurasian Hobby - Widespread Eurasia - S Africa, N Asia
Falco cuvierii - African Hobby - E, C, W, SE Africa
Falco severus - Oriental Hobby - NW India to Solomon Islands
Falco longipennis - Australian Hobby - Widespread Australasia
Falco novaeseelandiae - New Zealand Falcon - New Zealand
Falco berigora - Brown Falcon - Widespread Australasia
Falco hypoleucos - Grey Falcon - Australia
Falco subniger - Black Falcon - Australia
Falco biarmicus - Lanner Falcon - S Europe, Arabian Peninsula, Widespread Eurasia, Africa Africa
Falco jugger - Laggar Falcon - Pakistan to Burma, India
Falco cherrug - Saker Falcon - C, S Eurasia - NE Africa, N Asia
Falco rusticolus - Gyrfalcon - N North America, Eurasia
Falco mexicanus - Prairie Falcon - W North America, Middle America
Falco peregrinus - Peregrine Falcon - Widespread Worldwide
Falco pelegrinoides - Barbary Falcon - SW, Eurasia, also N Africa
Falco fasciinucha - Taita Falcon - E, SE Africa