Striated Carcara

This raptor of the falcon family lives only on the Falklands Archipelago, in the South Atlantic.

This is an intelligent bird, able to turn over stones to look for food beneath and with little fear of man, despite the persecution that it has suffered from sheep farmers in the past. Indeed, the Striated Caracara attacked weak lambs.

Currently the bird is protected but considering that the number of nesting couples is estimated to be 500, the species has a “Near Threatened” status on the IUCN scale (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Nesting in cliffs or on the ground, the Striated Caracara lays up to 4 eggs, synchronizing the hatching of its young with those of seabirds such as gulls, albatrosses and penguins. Indeed, what a good food resource those neighbouring fledglings are! Especially if they are sick or already dead!