---
title: "Red-throated Caracara"
description: "Ibycter americanus — Birds. The red-throated caracara (Ibycter americanus) is a social species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/red-throated-caracara
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Red-throated Caracara

> Ibycter americanus — Birds. The red-throated caracara (Ibycter americanus) is a social species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae.

- Scientific name: *Ibycter americanus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `jungle` (Jungle)
- iNaturalist observations: 1039
- Wikidata: [Q517757](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q517757)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4729](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4729)

## Names

- en: Red-throated Caracara
- de: Rotkehlkarakara
- es: Caracara comecacao
- fr: Caracara à gorge rouge
- nl: Roodkeelcaracara
- pt: Gralhão
- pl: Karakara białobrzucha

## Countries with the most observations

BR (162), PE (159), PA (109), EC (90), GF (78), CO (65), BO (28), GY (26), SR (26), CR (19), HN (9)

## Summary

The red-throated caracara (Ibycter americanus) is a social species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is placed in the monotypic genus Ibycter, or sometimes united in Daptrius with the black caracara. Unique among caracaras, it mainly feeds on the larvae of bees and wasps, but also takes the adult insects and fruits and berries.
It is found from far southern Mexico through parts of Central and South America south to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

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

## Photo

![Red-throated Caracara](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/red-throated-caracara/medium.jpg)

Photo: Jean-Paul Boerekamps · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/339543336

## Machine access

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