Phalcoboenus megalopterus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The mountain caracara (Daptrius megalopterus), (Spanish: corequenque) is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in puna and páramo in the Andes, ranging from northern Ecuador, through Peru and Bolivia, to northern Argentina and Chile. It is generally uncommon to fairly common. It resembles the closely related carunculated caracara and white-throated caracara, but unlike those species, its chest is uniform black. Juveniles are far less distinctive than the red-faced pied adults, being overall brown with dull pinkish-grey facial skin.
The mountain caracara was formally described and illustrated in 1834 by the Prussian naturalist Franz Meyen under the binomial name Aquila megaloptera based on specimens collect in the Cordillera of Chile. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek μεγαλως/megalōs meaning "exceedingly" with -πτερος/-pteros meaning "-winged". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The mountain caracara was formerly placed in the genus Phalcoboenus. Molecular genetic studies found that the genus Milvago was polyphyletic with the chimango caracara sister to the genus Phalcoboenus and the yellow-headed caracara sister...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Paz | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | bioparco | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 5 | Camperdown Wildlife Centre | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Ecozoológico San Martín | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 8 | Arequipa zoo | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | Zoológico de Oruro | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 10 | Zoologischer Garten Hof | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Agroflori Parque de las Aves | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 12 | Gauntlet Birds of Prey | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 13 | Greifvogelpark Buchs | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Caracara sighting in Cochabamba on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 96th most-seen of the 113 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Caracara in Cochabamba on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Cochabamba's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 100 mm in January.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mountain Caracara sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Mountain Caracara sightings, Cochabamba ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in La Paz (Bolivia, about 50%).
Same family: Falconidae
The closest relatives of the Mountain Caracara that you can see in Cochabamba (family Falconidae, Falcons and Caracaras) are American Kestrel (about 40%) and Crested Caracara (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mountain Caracara is recorded against all the birds logged in Cochabamba (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
