﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 451 

 POLYBORUS CHERIWAY CHERIWAY (Jacquin) 



Falco cheriway Jacquin, Beytrage zur Geschichte der Vogel, 1784, p. 17, pi. 4 

 (Aruba and coast of Venezuela). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9, Cantaura, September 7, 1947; gonads small; iris light brown, bill dull 

 light blue, cere and feet dull yellow; gizzard full of inch-long caterpillars; plumage 

 worn, primaries showing signs of active molting. 



Though this caracara prefers the deciduous seasonal woods edge, it 

 was encountered in all habitats except the lowland seasonal forest. 

 A common bird, noted during every month of the year, it was always 

 possible to record more than 25 individuals in a day's work. It was 

 usually found in bands of two to four, although groups of as many as 

 10 birds were not uncommon at favorite roosting places and near 

 carrion. A pair were observed copulating during the last week in 

 April, and a fledgling, apparently just out of the nest, was seen during 

 the last week in September, suggesting that the bird may have two 

 breeding seasons. 



The specimen collected had its gizzard full of caterpillars, which it 

 had evidently gleaned from a nearby field. More than any other 

 raptor, this species has the custom of patrolling the highway, par- 

 ticularly early in the morning, to feed on the rabbits, skunks, snakes, 

 and other animals IdUed by cars during the night. This caracara 

 also came in with the vultures to feed at very foul carrion. However, 

 it appeared to feed more on the insect larvae present there than on the 

 carrion itself. One was observed chasing a Buteo albicaudatus and 

 thi'eatening it, without ever coming to blows, until it di'opped its 

 prey, a large lizard, to the ground, where the caracara consumed it. 

 The bird has the curious habit of sitting on its haunches in the dust, 

 its tail spread out flat in support and its body and head upright. 

 Locally, it was said to be "refreshing itself." 



The commonest note uttered by tliis bird is a pebbly eh-eh-eh-eh, 

 with somewhat the quahty of the sound of a person clearing his 

 throat. 



Local name, "caricare." 



FALCO FEMORALIS FEMORALIS Temminck 



Falco femoralis Temminck, Nouveau recueil de planches coloriees d'oiseaux, livr. 

 58, pi. 121; livr. 21, pi. 343, 1822 (Brazil, ex Natterer). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



2 6^, 2 9 , Cantaura, July 6, August 5, 24, September 25, 1947 and 1948; all with 

 gonads small; iris brown to bark brown, cere and facial skin rich yellow in the 

 2 males, pale blue-green in 1 female, bill in males black at tip, shading to blue and 

 then to yellow-green or pale yellow at base, in females black at tip, otherwise 

 blue-gray, feet yellow in both sexes; gizzards contained insects, bird feathers, the 

 remains of a fledgling hummingbird (Amazilia fimbriata?) , and the foot of a small 

 nighthawk. 



