loading...
A photo of a Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima)
Yellow-headed Caracara

Yellow-headed Caracara

Milvago chimachima

The yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, every mainland South American country except Chile, and on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago. The yellow-headed caracara is 40 to 45 cm long. Males weigh 277 to 335 g and females 307 to 364 g. Their wingspan is 74 to 95 cm. The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults of the nominate subspecies have buff to creamy yellowish white head, neck, and underparts with a thin dark streak through the eye. Their back and wings are blackish brown with a whitish patch at the base of the primaries that shows in flight. Their uppertail coverts and tail are buff with dusky bars and the tail has a black band near the end. Their iris is reddish brown surrounded by bare bright yellow skin and their legs and feet are pea green. Immature birds have browner upperparts than adults and their underparts have brown streaks. Subspecies M. c. cordata is a darker buff on the head and underparts than the nominate and has narrower bars on the tail.
Birda logo
Download Birda for free and join the community of curious everyday people connecting with the natural world
Birda logo
Download Birda for free and join the community

Yellow-headed Caracaras on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Steph Robertson
Steph Robertson
Wednesday 03 May 2023 - 1:17pm
Costa Rica
A map showing the sighting location
🦜
Yves Darveau
Wednesday 26 Apr 2023 - 11:02pm
Panama
A map showing the sighting location
🦜
Kari Berglund
Monday 24 Apr 2023 - 10:46pm
Colombia
A map showing the sighting location
🦚
Matt Best
Wednesday 19 Apr 2023 - 9:11pm
Costa Rica
Connect with nature,
Find your flock
Copyright © 2023 Chirp Birding Ltd. All rights reserved.