Caracaras 



221 





The Caracaras (Polyborus], of which four species are now known, may be 

 regarded as typical of the subfamily, the characters of which have been set forth 

 on page 212. They are rather handsome birds, from twenty to twenty-five inches 

 in length, dark brown or blackish above, the cheeks, neck, chest, and tail-coverts 

 soiled white, while the upper part of the back and breast are barred with whitish 

 and dusky, and the tail white with numerous narrow bars of grayish or dusky, 

 and a broad terminal or subterminal band of dusky. Audubon's Caracara (P. 

 cheriway] ranges from the southern border of the United States south through 

 Mexico (but apparently skipping parts of Central America) to Guiana and 

 Ecuador. It is a rather shy bird, rarely allowing a close approach, and may 

 often be seen "sitting for hours in an exposed place with ruffled plumage and 

 half-spread wings exposed to the sun, for the purpose of absorbing the warmth of 

 its rays." It is also often seen on the ground, where it walks easily and grace- 

 fully, and is able to catch agile insects by running after them. Its principal food 

 consists of carrion, devouring greedily dead 

 animal matter of all kinds, but it also feeds 

 on lizards, snakes, frogs, young alligators, 

 crabs, crawfish, insects, and occasionally small 

 birds and mammals, being, however, especially 

 fond of snakes. It has also been observed in 

 the act of forcing Pelicans to disgorge their 

 catch of fish, attacking them from above, 

 darting down with shrill screams, and striking 

 them with their talons. Sometimes they may 

 catch the fish before they reach the ground, 

 but usually they alight to enjoy the ill-gotten supplies. A correspondent 

 quoted by Bendire, describing their hunting of other game, says: "I have 

 seen them hunting prairie dogs, in couples, and once showing a high degree of 

 intelligence. One was hidden behind a tussock of grass while the other 

 danced before a young lamb, trying to lead it from the place where its mother 

 was grazing to where its companion was hidden. The ruse was nearly success- 

 ful, as the lamb began to follow, but the dam, anxiously watching, finally called 

 it back." These birds also frequent the vicinity of slaughter-houses, but on 

 the whole are regarded as inoffensive and even valuable for their work as 

 scavengers and in destroying noxious animals and insects. They are peculiar 

 in that they often carry their prey in the bill, the species to be next described 

 being especially noted for this method of carrying. Their nests, which are 

 sometimes used for several successive seasons, are large, rather slovenly made 

 affairs, placed in a variety of situations according to the locality. In the river 

 bottoms the nests are high up in the trees, but in the open country," where there 

 is a scarcity of suitable vegetation, it is placed in low bushes a few feet high." 

 They are composed of small branches, weed stems, reeds, and coarse grasses, 

 and shallowly lined with finer grass, leaves, Spanish moss, etc. The handsome 

 eggs, usually two or three in number, are rounded ovate in shape, and mostly a 

 uniform rufous-cinnamon in color, this being overlaid with irregular blotches 



FIG. 75. Caracara, Polyborus cheri- 

 way. 



