Food habits of the Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) in the Andean Patagonia: the role of breeding constraints

Crested caracara (Caracara plancus) in Patagonia have a generalist diet, fe eding mainly on mammalian carrion and arthropods. Vertebrate prey (mammals, birds and reptiles) are primarily captured to feed nestlings and marginall y as food for breeding or immature adults. Immature birds are less selectiv e in their diet than breeding adults, consuming mainly large carrion and ar thropods. This may be caused by intraspecific hierarchical interactions whe re immature birds are displaced by adult breeding birds to less profitable prey. On the other hand, differences between breeding adults and nestlings fit central place foraging theory predictions. Adults consume smaller prey (mostly arthropods), and take larger prey (mostly vertebrates) to the nest. (C) Academic Press.