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128 



THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



AUDUBON'S CARACARA. 



Polyborus cheriway. 



Audubon's Caracara is a tropical species inhabiting northern South 

 America, Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States, 

 Florida, Texas, and Arizona. In the southern part of Texas, along the 

 Eio Grande, it is more common in winter than during the warmer 

 months, as individuals from the North join those that summer there. 

 A closely allied species (Polyborus tharus) inhabits the whole of South 

 America except the northern part, and a third one (Polyborus lutosus) 

 is restricted to Guadalupe Island, Lower California. 



The food of the Caracara more closely resembles that of the true vul- 

 tures than that of the hawks proper. Like the vultures, it feeds greedily 

 on dead animal matter of all kinds, seemingly having little preference 

 for any particular sort. In the vicinity of slaughter-houses or about the 

 carcasses of the larger animals, it may be seen in company with turkey 

 buzzards devouring the bits of offal or carrion. The Caracara feeds 

 also on lizards, snakes, frogs, young alligators, crabs, craw-fish, insects, 

 and young birds. It is very partial to snakes and destroys large numbers 

 of them and also feeds on the dead ones. Small mammals are eaten in 

 considerable numbers. The crops of three halfgrown young which Mr. 

 G. B. Sennett secured at Lomita, Tex., were filled with mice. Lieut. 

 Couch states that it destroys large numbers of the Texas field rat 

 (Sigmodon berlandieri). (IT. S. and Mexican Boundary Survey, 1852, 

 vol. II, part II, Birds, p. 4.) Mr. H. Nehrling informs us that in catch- 

 ing prairie dogs it hunts in pairs. It will sometimes attack animals 

 as large as full-grown hares, as the following from Dr. J. C. Merrill 

 demonstrates : I have seen a Caracara chase a jackass rabbit for some 

 distance through open mesquit chaparral, and while it was in sight the 

 bird kept within a few feet of the animal and constantly gained on it, 

 in spite of its sharp turns and bounds. If one bird has caught a snake 

 or field-mouse, its companions that may happen to see it at once pursue, 

 and a chase follows very different from what is seen among the vul- 

 tures. (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vol. i, 1878, p. 153.) 



The stomach of a specimen from Florida, which Audubon examined, 

 contained the remains of a bullfrog, Dumerous hard-shelled worms, and 

 a quantity of horse and deer hair. (Ornith. Biography, vol. n, p. 

 351.) In certain sections this bird is reported as feeding quite exten- 

 sively on the ticks which infest the domesticated animals. 



Waterfowl which have fallen out of reach of the gunner are taken 

 whenever found. Mr. W. B. Barrows informs the writer that in one 

 instance, while duck shootingin the Argentine Eepublic, a species closely 

 allied to the one under consideration, attempted to carry off a duck 

 which had been left lying on the surface of the water near him, and it 

 was necessary to make considerable demonstration to scare it off, 



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