Carunculated caracara

Phalcoboenus carunculatus

The carunculated caracara is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in páramo in the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia. It is generally uncommon to fairly common.
Carunculated caracara - portrait, Antisana Ecological Reserve, Ecuador A very fortunate encounter with an epic bird. It landed directly next to the road and was unbothered with us slowly getting closer. This is a high altitude caracara mostly found at ground level to feed on snails and insects. It is uncommon in Ecuador but this is a good place to try and see them. Part of the genus Phalcoboenus (Andean Caracaras).
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129965/carunculated_caracara_antisana_ecological_reserve_ecuador.html
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129966/carunculated_caracara_-_chest_antisana_ecological_reserve_ecuador.html Antisana Ecological Reserve,Carunculated caracara,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Phalcoboenus carunculatus,South America,Spring,World

Appearance

It resembles the closely related mountain caracara, but unlike that species its chest and upper belly is black with dense white streaks. Juveniles are far less distinctive than the orange-faced pied adults, being overall brown with dull pinkish-grey facial skin.
Carunculated caracara - chest, Antisana Ecological Reserve, Ecuador A very fortunate encounter with an epic bird. It landed directly next to the road and was unbothered with us slowly getting closer. This is a high altitude caracara mostly found at ground level to feed on snails and insects. It is uncommon in Ecuador but this is a good place to try and see them. Part of the genus Phalcoboenus (Andean Caracaras).
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129965/carunculated_caracara_antisana_ecological_reserve_ecuador.html
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129964/carunculated_caracara_-_portrait_antisana_ecological_reserve_ecuador.html Antisana Ecological Reserve,Carunculated caracara,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Phalcoboenus carunculatus,Páramo,South America,Spring,World

Food

A highly opportunistic species often seen walking on the ground, it will feed on both carrion and virtually any small animal it can catch.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderFalconiformes
FamilyFalconidae
GenusPhalcoboenus
SpeciesP. carunculatus
Photographed in
Ecuador