The yellow-headed caracara (lenght 45 cm) has a light
yellow-brown head and breast and pale spots on its long and dark
wings. Most people know the harsh catlike cries it utters when it
flies over their houses.
Ouside the breeding season it sleeps in larger numbers together.
In Paramaribo was a place (Rode Kruislaan), where forty of them
rested together every night. Early in the morning they could be
seen going in all directions back to their own 'hunting ground'.
The bird is a common sight along the road from Paramaribo to
Nickerie, eating dead animals (small but also big like cayman and
anaconda) run over by cars. It also eats insects and small birds.
In the breeding season they become more aggressive against birds
of the same species in their territory. The caracaras themselves
are often attacked by others birds like the great kiskadee, that
will circle around trying to peck them until they fly away.
The first bird was photographed by Pascal Dubois in French Guyane
and then a caracara on a cow, searching for ticks, made by Tony
Henneberg in Suriname. Below of photo of a young of the
Yellow-headed caracara made by Foek Chin Joe (October 2006,
Charlesburg) and another young eating a large snail, made by Leo
Olmtak in 2009. Then one of a caracara being chased by a
Kiskadee, made by Carla out in October 2006 and two more from
Pieter Verheij in January 2007.
Each small square indicates the observation of at least one (group) of these birds in Surinam, the medium ones at least 4 observations on different days and the largest ones 10 or more. The color of each square indicates: blue for coastal area, yellow for savanna and red for rainforest. They assemble in groups of several dozen on sleeping places or near carcasses (60 in Coronie, Ribot, 1980).
Photo made by Stephan Ferrier at the campus of the Anton de Kom university in Paramaribo in 2003.
| Distribution in Suriname (explanation) | |
| Coastal area |  |
| Savanna |  |
| Forests |  |
| Mountain forests | |
| Sipalawini savanna | |
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