- Milvago chimango
Phalcoboenus chimango
Identification
37–43 cm (14½-17 in)
- Mottled or barred underparts
- Dark streaks on head sides and nape
- Yellowish bill
- Pinkish bare facial skin
Male: bright yellow legs; Female: gray legs and toes
Variations
Northern race is darker than those found in the south.
Flight
It can be identified in flight by its pale rump and the distinctive pale "windows" on the wings.
Distribution
South America: breeds from Paraguay, Uruguay and the far south of Brazil south to Tierra del Fuego. Southernmost breeders are migratory and move north to about 250S in the southern winter. Recorded as a vagrant in the Falkland Islands. It is the commonest raptor in its area.
It is particularly widespread in Chile, where has become a kind of urban raptor, can be found all over the country.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognised[1]:
- M. c. chimango:
- M. c. temucoensis:
- Southern Chile and southern Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn Archaepelago
An additional subspecies fuegensis in Tierra del Fuego is not generally recognised[2].
Habitat
Open country, most common on the pampas of southern Argentina. Sometimes follows ploughs on cultivated land.
Behaviour
Diet
Usually seen by the side of the roads eating carrion, but it also feeds a wide variety of small wild prey including frogs.
Vocalisation
Call is a loud "ieeeee".
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2016)
- Arthur Grosset
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chimango Caracara. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chimango_Caracara
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
