The carunculated caracara (''Phalcoboenus carunculatus'') is a species of

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the family

Falconidae The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of Diurnality, diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order (biology), order Falconiformes). The family likely originated in South America d ...

, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Taxonomy and systematics

Des Murs described the carunculated caracara as ''Phalcobænis carunculatus'' in 1853, and as a species of ''Polyborus'' in an earlier unpublished description from 1845. Sclater initially referred specimens he had received to ''Milvago megalopterus'' (=''montanus''), then recognised a separate species with Des Murs' epithet, as ''Milvago carunculatus''. In 1861, he listed three species in what he termed the ''Phalcobænis'' subsection of ''Milvago'': ''M. carunculatus'', ''M. megalopterus'', and ''M. albogularis''. The taxonomy of the caracaras has not been settled. The American Ornithological Society and the

International Ornithological Committee The International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) is an international organization for the promotion of ornithology. It links basic and applied research and nurtures education and outreach activities. Specifically, the IOU organizes and funds global co ...

place the carunculated and three other caracaras in genus ''Phalcoboenus''.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 30 January 2023. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 30, 2023

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

's ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. ...

'' also places the carunculated caracara in ''Phalcoboenus'', and includes four other caracaras.HBW and BirdLife International (2022) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip retrieved December 13, 2022 The Clements taxonomy places the carunculated and six other caracaras in genus ''Daptrius''.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved November 10, 2022 The worldwide systems agree that the carunculated caracara is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

Description

The carunculated caracara is long with a wingspan of . The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults are mostly glossy black with a bold pattern of white streaks on their breast. Their lower belly, undertail coverts, underside of the wing, and tips of the flight and tail feathers are pure unmarked white. Their

cere The beak, bill, or Rostrum (anatomy), rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, wikt:grasp#Verb, grasping, and holding (in wikt:probe ...

and the bare skin on their face and throat are bright orange to deep red, and wrinkles ("caruncles") in the throat skin give the species its English name and

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

. Their iris is hazel to blackish gray and their legs and feet bright yellow. Juveniles are tawny to dark brown with some white mottling on the head, rump, and underparts. Their legs and feet are dusky.Bierregaard, R. O., P. F. D. Boesman, and J. S. Marks (2022). Carunculated Caracara (''Daptrius carunculatus''), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (N. D. Sly, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.carcar1.01.1 retrieved February 14, 2023

Distribution and habitat

The carunculated caracara is found in the Andes from southwestern Colombia to southern Ecuador. It inhabits the temperate zone above

treeline The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...

, where the landscape is ''

páramo Páramo () may refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...

'' or grassy pastures with scattered bushes. In elevation it mostly ranges between but has been recorded as high as .

Behavior

Movement

As far as is known the carunculated caracara is a year-round resident, but is somewhat nomadic within its range, gathering in flocks that may number more than 100 outside the breeding season.

Feeding

The carunculated caracara is

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...

and highly opportunistic. Its diet includes worms, insects and their larvae, other invertebrates, amphibians, small lizards and mammals, nestling birds,

carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...

, and vegetable matter like grain. It usually forages by walking or running on the ground but will do so in low-level flight. In often feeds in small groups among cattle or llamas.

Breeding

The carunculated caracara usually lays eggs during September and October, though there are records from later. It usually builds a stick nest on a cliff ledge but one has been recorded in a tree. The clutch size usually is two eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.

Vocalization

As of early 2023, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library had only one recording of carunculated caracara flight calls. Xeno-canto had it and two other recordings. One is "grating and squealing barks" and the other a "long series of harsh notes".

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

has assessed the carunculated caracara as being of Least Concern. Though it has a restricted range and an estimated population of fewer than 6700 mature individuals, the latter is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered uncommon to locally common and "relatively secure at present, given that tshabitat snot under significant pressure".

References

External links

Illustration by P. Oudart
in Des Murs (1849) ''Iconographie Ornologique''.
Illustration by J. Jennens
in Sclater (1861) "''Milvago carunculatus'' and its allied species". {{Authority control carunculated caracara Birds of the Colombian Andes Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes Páramo fauna carunculated caracara Taxonomy articles created by Polbot