Yellow headed Caracara

These images are taken from Hato Pinero on my recent trip to Venezuela

please click on the image to release the detail within the pixels

The Yellow Headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima) is a small bird of prey found in tropical & sub-tropical South America & Southern Central America. They are related to falcons but are much slower in flight and do much of their hunting and feeding on the ground. With broad wings and a long tail they have buff head and underparts, brown upperparts and wings and a barred cream and brown tail. Their natural habitat is savannah, swamps and forest edges, but they have also adapted to urban areas and are commonly seen in many South American cities. Yellow Headed Caracaras have a very varied diet including small reptiles & amphibians, insects, fruit and carrion. It will also take ticks from cattle, giving it the nickname 'Tickbird'.

so the nickname is true.......
and now I can see the attraction of the cattle ranch where these images were taken

immature Caracra

not looking quite so beautiful yet

out on the tiles ...

......... or in the frame