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Caracara (genus)
Encyclopedia
Caracara is a genus
of birds of prey in the family Falconidae
found throughout a large part of the Americas
. They are part of a group collectively referred to as caracara
s. The modern species in the genus Caracara were previously considered conspecific (as "Crested Caracara" - a name still widely used for the Northern Caracara) and/or for long placed in the genus Polyborus.
taxa are also known.
The fossil
record proves the long history of the mainland "crested caracaras". Remains of Northern Caracaras, slightly larger than those of our time and otherwise all but identical, were found in the famous La Brea Tar Pits
. In addition, the Guadalupe Caracara may derive from an already-distinct population of western Mexico that subsequently was displaced by the main continental population.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of birds of prey in the family Falconidae
Falconidae
The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...
found throughout a large part of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. They are part of a group collectively referred to as caracara
Caracara
Caracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. They are traditionally placed in the subfamily Polyborinae, but are sometimes considered part of their own subfamily, Caracarinae, or members of the true falcon subfamily, Falconinae...
s. The modern species in the genus Caracara were previously considered conspecific (as "Crested Caracara" - a name still widely used for the Northern Caracara) and/or for long placed in the genus Polyborus.
Taxonomy
Two of the modern species are extant, one was deliberately made extinct by humans about 100 years ago (to the detriment of its island home). Several prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
taxa are also known.
- Northern Caracara, Caracara cheriway
- Southern CaracaraSouthern CaracaraThe Southern Crested Caracara , also known as the Southern Caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It formerly included the Northern Caracara of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara as subspecies...
, Caracara plancus - Guadalupe CaracaraGuadalupe CaracaraThe Guadalupe Caracara, Caracara lutosa, is an extinct bird of prey belonging to the falcon family . It was, together with the closely related Crested and Southern Caracara, formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. It was also known as the Quelili or the Calalie.This species inhabited Mexico's...
, Caracara lutosa - extinct (1900 or 1903) - Bahaman CaracaraBahaman CaracaraThe Bahaman Caracara is an extinct bird of prey. It is known only from a few fossils discovered in the Bahamas and Cuba.C. creightoni stood 23 inches tall. It was short-winged and likely a poor flier....
, Caracara creightoni - prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
, may belong in C. latebrosus - Puerto Rican Caracara, Caracara latebrosus - prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
- Terrestrial CaracaraTerrestrial CaracaraThe Terrestrial Caracara is a prehistoric species of bird in the falcon family, Falconidae. It was native to the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, where it probably inhabited dry forests in the island's south. C. tellustris was large and had diminished wings; it was probably mostly...
, Caracara tellustris - prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
record proves the long history of the mainland "crested caracaras". Remains of Northern Caracaras, slightly larger than those of our time and otherwise all but identical, were found in the famous La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits
The La Brea Tar Pits are a cluster of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed, in the urban heart of Los Angeles. Asphaltum or tar has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered with water...
. In addition, the Guadalupe Caracara may derive from an already-distinct population of western Mexico that subsequently was displaced by the main continental population.
