Phalcoboenus australis

(Gmelin, 1788)

Vernacular names
English : Striated caracara
French : Caracara austral

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Falconiformes
Family : Falconidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach a length of 65 cm for a weight of 1.1 kg and a wingspan of 1.25 m. Unmistakable. Yellow cere around bill, yellow legs. Plumage mostly black, with brown rump and undertail. White streaks on neck, breast and belly.

Range and habitat
The species occurs on islands and small islets off extreme south America, including Isla Grande in Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn and Falkland Islands. Lives in open lowlands, especially grasslands near rocky coasts.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NEAR THREATENED
CITES : Appendix II
Status : This species has been heavily persecuted in the past, becoming extinct on East Falkland Is. Slow recovery in progress but new assessment needed.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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