saw a yellow headed cara cara sunday, doing something strange....

[Gato Moteado]

i was near carara national park but on the other side of the tarcoles river where there are some cows. i saw a cow laying down with a yellow headed cara cara perched on top of it. i watched a while and after a bit the cara cara flew to another cow and appeared to be pecking at the cow at first but then it looked like maybe the bird was eating insects or something off the cow. it even jumped to the ground and became interested in the cow's belly. the cows didn't seem to mind at all.

very strange. i've only known cara caras to be scavengers like vultures, but mostly i see the crested cara cara. does anyone know why a yellow headed cara cara would be exibiting such bizarre behaviour?

[blindpig]

1. Ticks?

They'd sure be a tasty treat!

I didn't know that the Yellow-headed Caracara was that big a scavenger. Seem a bit more falcon like. If I remember my reading they are expanding their range, perhaps what you're seeing is an example of the adaptability making range expansion possible?

[Gato Moteado]

2. well, i think costa rica has always been part of their range....

as for their diets, i just guess i assumed they were scavengers like the crested cara caras.

[blindpig]

4. They're expanding elsewhere.

I visited Trinidad Tobago a few years back, field guide said they were previously not found but had been showing up regularly of recent. We saw quite a few.

[Gato Moteado]

3. after further review......you were right on

from wikipedia:

The Yellow-headed Caracara is omnivorous, and will eat reptiles, amphibians and other small animals as well as carrion. It will also take ticks from cattle, and is locally called “tickbird”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-headed_Caracara

they are scavengers but they also eat small animals, and, strangely enough, ticks from cattle. what a trip. i thought i was seeing things. :)