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Chimango Caracara
Milvago chimango

DESCRIPTION:
Chimango Caracara
Chimango
Milvago chimango
Length: 400mm (male), 420mm (female). Sexes alike. Bill light bluish grey, cere and eyelids whitish grey; iris chestnut brown; head, neck, back and scapulars ochraceous brown; nape whitish buff; uppertail coverts whitish buff; rectrices whitish buff with fine whitish terminal band and broad brown subterminal band followed by thin brown banding; on the underside, rectrices are cinnamon buff with thin brown banding. Breast, flanks, and abdomen ochraceous brown with whitish buff undulating bands; thighs buff; undertail coverts whitish buff. Wing coverts and secondaries ochraceous brown, primaries whitish buff with thin and abundant brown barring on basal half and brown on apical half; underwing coverts and axillaries buff; underside of secondaries buff with brown terminal band and thin brown banding; underside of primaries whitish barred with brown and brown to apex. Feet bluish grey. Juveniles as adults. The above descriptions are for the race Milvago chimango temucoensis. The typical race, Milvago chimango chimango, is cinnamon buff and brown, thus overall paler in coloration. Habitat and behaviour: the Chimango Caracara is the commonest and best-known raptor; it frequents all kinds of environments; it feeds on carrion, rubbish, earthworms, insects and their larvae, birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Although not a hunter par excellence, it boldly takes advantage of any circumstance to obtain food. A rather slow flier, it alternates gliding with shallow wing beats, flying aimlessly, drawing a few circles, advancing a short distance and then wheeling again; during flight the edge of primaries, which is rounded, is conspicuously curved downwards. Owing to its great adaptability to live in diverse environments, it is found in urban and suburban areas, gathering in large numbers around landfills and following tractors during the ploughing season. May nest in trees, shrubs, reeds and even directly on the ground; nest is constructed with twigs and lined with grass, vegetation, hairs and wool; clutch size: up to five buffy white eggs with reddish spots. Range: the nominate race Milvago chimango chimango occurs in all the north of Argentina and in Patagonia; the Andean region of the subantarctic forests of Neuquén, west of Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz host the race Milvago chimango temucoensis and the race Milvago chimango fuegiensis dwells in Tierra del Fuego, in the woodlands. It also occurs in Chile, south of Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil.
Illustrated handbook of the Birds of Patagonia
Kindless: Kovacs Family
 
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Photographs: Mariano Diez Peña


Birding Patagonia • Birdwatcing in Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction of photographs is forbidden without permission from the authors.
Photographs on the website: Mariano Diez Peña