The caracaras seem to be some kind of meeting place of the two – combining the sociability and generality of the corvids with the appearance and hardware of the raptor. We hear a lot about the intelligence of crows, and I have often wondered if we underestimate that of the so-called birds of prey. My own abiding memory is of the ubiquitous Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango of the Argentinian Pampas, and being entertained for a good hour at Cordoba airport by one that appeared to be on a crash course in how to catch a House Sparrow Passer domesticus, with about as much success, it seemed, as I would have had armed with a butterfly net. Hbk, 384pp 16 plates, illustrations and mapsĪny birdwatcher who has spent time in the New World – from the southern USA to southernmost South America – can hardly have failed to encounter and be intrigued by any of the ten members of the caracara family. A Most Remarkable Creature: the hidden life and epic journey of the world’s smartest bird of prey
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |