Daptrius

Daptrius is a genus of birds of prey in the family Falconidae. All members are endemic to South America, excepted the yellow-headed caracara also found in Costa Rica and Panama. The genus includes species previously placed in the genera Milvago and Phalcoboenus.

Taxonomy

The genus Daptrius was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot to accommodate a single species, Datrius ater Vieillot, the black caracara. This is the type species. The genus name is from Ancient Greek δαπτης/daptēs meaning "bloodsucker" or "eater", from δαπτω/daptō meaning "to devour".

This genus now includes species that were formerly placed in the genera Milvago and Phalcoboenus. Molecular genetic studies found that Milvago was polyphyletic with the chimango caracara (Milvago chimango) sister to the genus Phalcoboenus and the yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) sister to Daptrius. As the genetic divergence was relatively shallow, the polyphyly was resolved by expanding the genus Daptrius to include the two other genera.

The genus contains seven species:

Fossil species

• †Daptrius brodkorbi (Late Pleistocene of Peru)
• †Daptrius alexandri (Late Pleistocene of Hispaniola, West Indies)
• †Daptrius carbo, Cuban caracara (Holocene of Cuba, West Indies)
• †Daptrius diazfrancoi, Diaz Franco's caracara (Late Pleistocene of Cuba, West indies)

D. c. readei, a larger and stouter paleosubspecies of the yellow-headed caracara from the Late Pleistocene of Florida and possibly elsewhere, is also known.

References