Crested Caracara, Patagonia

Richard Wagener

Richard Wagener did this woodengraving of a Caracara in an edition of 28. All the lines are engraved into the wood individually, not with a multiple line tool.

The Crested Caracara is also known as the Southern Crested Caracara or "carancho", and is native to Central and South America, down to Peru and Patgonia. It is a species of falcon. The name comes from its distinct call.

The Audobon Society notes: "Related to the typical falcons, but very different in shape and habits. The Crested Caracara is a strikingly patterned, broad-winged opportunist that often feeds on carrion. Aggressive, it may chase vultures away from road kills. Widespread in the American tropics, it enters our area only near the Mexican border and in Florida."