Photo: Fernando Flores from Caracas, Venezuela / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Caracara
Daptrius ater
Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) — Birds of Prey of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) is a member of the Falconidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 352 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Falconiformes
- Family Falconidae Caracaras, Falcons
- Genus Daptrius
- Species ater
Quick facts
- Weight
- 352 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Falconidae
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
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Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Caracara is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black Caracara is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) is a member of the Falconidae family, within the order Falconiformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 352 g, with a wing length of about 31.1 cm and a tail of around 19.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Caracara?
The Black Caracara is a large bird that weighs around 352 g.
Where does the Black Caracara live?
The Black Caracara is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black Caracara belong to?
The Black Caracara (Daptrius ater) belongs to the Falconidae family, in the order Falconiformes.
What does the Black Caracara eat?
The Black Caracara is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black Caracara migrate?
The Black Caracara is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black Caracara endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black Caracara make?
1 real field recording of the Black Caracara — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black Caracara's range?
The Black Caracara has a mapped global range of about 6.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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