A Southern Crested Caracara Stock Photo

The southern crested caracara Caracara plancus, also known as the southern caracara, carancho or carcará, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. As presently defined, the southern crested caracara is restricted to central and southern South America. It formerly included the northern crested caracara C. cheriway of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe caracara C. lutosa as subspecies. As its relatives, it was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus.