Striated caracara

Phalcoboenus australis

Photo by Laurent Demongin (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
striated caracara (en); caracará-austral (pt); caracara austral (fr); caracara estriado (es); Falklandkarakara (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is only foundin Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands.

Size:
These birds are 53-65 cm long and have a wingspan of 114-124 cm. They weigh 1,2 kg.

Habitat:
The striated caracara is found in rocky islands and islets, from the tidal zone to low coastal mountains, using tidal pools, coastal grasslands and rocky areas.

Diet:
This species is highly opportunistic, mostly eating small seabirds such as prions, but also the eggs and chicks of larger seabirds such as penguins and albatrosses, carcasses of seabirds and seals, insects and even young or week sheep.

Breeding:
Striated caracaras breed in December-February, timing hatching of chicks to coincide with the breeding season of seabirds to ensure food supply. The nest is made with twigs and dried grasses, and lined with wool if available, being placed on a rock ledge or under a grass tussock. The female lays 1-4 eggs. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledgling periods, but both parents are known to defend the nest and feed the young.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1.000-2.500 individuals. The population is believed to be stable at present, but heavy persecution has greatly reduced the population in the past. No major threats are known to operate on the striated caracara at present.