This raptor, related to the falcons, is found from southern Mexico to southern Brazil and is usually found in forested habitats. It has a very interesting diet, feeding heavily on the larvae of wasps which it obtains by attacking the nests until the wasps abandon it. In the grand scheme of things though, very little is known about this unique raptor’s natural history. Although the Red-throated Caracara (Ibycter americanus) has a rather larger range, its population in Central America has plummeted over the last decades, making it very hard to find at present.

The decline is hard to account for since it has disappeared even from areas where the forest has remained intact. In Costa Rica there are recent sightings from the Osa Peninsula in the far south and in the northern region and it is precisely here where our project began in 2013, monitoring a group of Red-throated Caracaras living in the remnant forest patches of a cattle farm near Monterrey, San Carlos. During two seasons (2013, 2018) we were able to identify the nest site – the first ever recorded in Costa Rica – and we were able to connect invaluable data about their behavior and social cooperation using cameras to record photographs, video and audio. We were also able to document the fledglings from both nests.

During several visits in May 2020, the birds were spotted again visiting the nest site and coming in and out of the actual nest, but after two weeks of observations they stopped visiting the site. Our goal through Ibycter Project is to continue generating data on all aspects of this species’ natural history throughout the year to better understand its needs and why it is disappearing. This information is critical to allow us to put in place effective conservation actions.

During 2021 and 2022 monitoring visits to the farm took place, with several sightings, unfortunately it was not possible to corroborate or find a nesting site. 

in 2023 Carara invested on wildlife recording devices to set up in the farm and keep a full time monitoring on the Ibycter americanus family, we are happy to say that we already have recording and will continue to visit the farm through the year to collect data. 

Caracara Costa Rica is supporting the project with a donation for every purchase that we have. But there’s still much to do and much to learn about this amazing birds, it is for this reason we are seeking cooperation through donations to support our ongoing field work in Costa Rica. We have put together an amazing team of capable and hard-working volunteers, but we need your help to move on to the next phase of our project.