Bird of the day
Striated caracara
Phalcoboenus australis
The striated caracara or Forster's caracara (Phalcoboenus australis) is a Near Threatened bird of prey of the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. In the Falklands it is known as the Johnny rook, probably named after the Johnny penguin (gentoo penguin).
The striated caracara is 53 to 65 cm (21 to 26 in) long with a wingspan of 116 to 125 cm (46 to 49 in), and weighs about 1.2 kg (2.6 lb). The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults are mostly black to brownish black with white or tawny streaks on the upper back, neck, and breast. Their tail has a wide white tip, their underwing coverts and thighs are bright rusty rufous, and their primaries have white bases. The bare skin on their face is salmon pink to yellowish orange, their iris brown, and their legs and feet bright orange-yellow. Juveniles are black to brownish black with a chestnut tail and gray bare parts; they gradually attain adult plumage and bare skin colors over their first five years.
The most common calls are "a cat-like wailing waa-aow, a high-pitched, repeated scream, a loud cawing kaa in face of human intruders, and short sharp clicks around the nest."
Aliases
Phalcoboenus australis