WCaracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. They are traditionally placed in subfamily Polyborinae with the forest falcons, but are sometimes considered to constitute their own subfamily, Caracarinae, or classified as members of the true falcon subfamily, Falconinae. Caracaras are principally birds of South and Central America, just reaching the southern United States.
WThe Bahaman caracara, also known as Creighton's caracara, is an extinct bird of prey. It is known only from a few fossils discovered in the Bahamas and Cuba. Caracara creightoni was a scavenger and opportunistic species instead of a predator like its sister extant species. It lived during the late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene era.
WThe chimango caracara is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and south of Brazil. The chimango is found as far south as Tierra del Fuego and is a vagrant to the Falkland Islands.
WThe Guadalupe caracara or mourning caracara is an extinct bird of prey belonging to the falcon family (Falconidae). 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.
WThe northern crested caracara, also called the northern caracara and crested caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the southern caracara and the extinct Guadalupe caracara as the "crested caracara". It has also been known as Audubon's caracara. As with its relatives, the northern caracara was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, the caracaras are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are rather sluggish and often scavengers.
WThe southern crested caracara, also known as the southern caracara, carancho or carcará, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. As presently defined, the southern crested caracara is restricted to central and southern South America. It formerly included the northern crested caracara of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe caracara as subspecies. Similarly to its relatives, it was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus.
WThe striated caracara is a bird of prey of the family Falconidae. In the Falkland Islands, it is known as the Johnny rook, probably named after the Johnny penguin, one of its preys.
WThe yellow-headed caracara is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in tropical and subtropical South America and the southern portion of Central America. Unlike the falcons in the same family, the caracara is not a fast-flying aerial hunter, but is rather sluggish and often obtains food by scavenging.