Birds
Carunculated Caracara
Phalcoboenus carunculatus
Marked by fleshy orange-red caruncles around the face, a carunculated caracara walks across high Andean grassland in Ecuador and Colombia, the most northerly member of a caracara group otherwise centered much further south.
Overview
The carunculated caracara, Phalcoboenus carunculatus, is a Least Concern bird of prey restricted to high Andean grassland in Ecuador and Colombia. The most northerly member of the Phalcoboenus caracara group, it shares its relatives’ bold black-and-white plumage and ground-foraging habits, distinguished by its distinctive fleshy facial caruncles.
A northern outlier
While most Phalcoboenus caracaras are centered on Patagonia and the central Andes, the carunculated caracara pushes the group’s range much further north, surviving in isolated high-altitude grassland across Ecuador and Colombia.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable high-Andean grassland throughout its restricted northern range.
Carunculated Caracara: common questions
Why is it called the carunculated caracara?
It shows bare, fleshy orange-red caruncles around the face, a feature that gives the species its common name and helps distinguish it from related caracaras.
Where is the carunculated caracara found?
It is the most northerly of the Phalcoboenus caracaras, found specifically in high Andean grassland of Ecuador and Colombia, further north than its Patagonian and Andean relatives.
What does the carunculated caracara eat?
It is a carnivore, hunting small animals and scavenging carrion, often foraging on foot across open high-altitude grassland.
Is the carunculated caracara afraid of humans?
Not particularly. It often shows relatively little fear of people, readily approaching trails, farms, and settlements in search of food.