---
title: "Black Caracara"
description: "Daptrius ater — Birds. The black caracara (Daptrius ater) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae that is found in Amazonian and French Guianan lowlands, mainly occurring along rivers."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/black-caracara
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Black Caracara

> Daptrius ater — Birds. The black caracara (Daptrius ater) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae that is found in Amazonian and French Guianan lowlands, mainly occurring along rivers.

- Scientific name: *Daptrius ater*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `jungle` (Jungle)
- iNaturalist observations: 1180
- Wikidata: [Q520013](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q520013)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4717](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4717)

## Names

- en: Black Caracara
- de: Gelbkehlkarakara
- es: Caracara negro
- fr: Caracara noir
- nl: Zwarte caracara
- pt: Gavião-de-anta
- pl: Karakara czarna

## Countries with the most observations

EC (340), PE (293), BR (210), CO (126), BO (32), SR (28), GY (22), GF (9), VE (4)

## Summary

The black caracara (Daptrius ater) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae that is found in Amazonian and French Guianan lowlands, mainly occurring along rivers. It was formerly the only species placed in the genus Daptrius but based on genetic studies the genus now includes species that were formerly placed in the genera Milvago and Phalcoboenus.
Since migration has not been observed, they are considered resident, or sedentary, remaining in the tropics year round.
The black caracara is a widespread and sociable raptor, often spotted in groups of 2–5 individuals in tall trees. Nests, built from sticks and usually…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_caracara

## Photo

![Black Caracara](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/black-caracara/medium.jpg)

Photo: Etienne Falquet · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/138631436

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/black-caracara?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).