The chimango caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango ) is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and south of Brazil. The chimango is found as far south as Tierra del Fuego and is a vagrant to the Islas Malvinas also known as Falkland Islands.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, high-altitude shrubland, temperate grassland, Patagonian steppe, and heavily degraded former forest. This bird is typically found at edges of water and near towns and fields, the latter especially if they are newly ploughed. It is the most common raptor in the Argentinean Patagonia and Chile.
The chimango is an intelligent bird and has high problem solving abilities compared to other birds. It eats insects, small vertebrates and carrion. The chimango is also known to catch living fish from the surface of the water.
