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LOCAL Tuesday 27 augusT 2019

Insular Alert II Wara-Wara the Crested Caracara Episode XXXII

Continued from Page 14 They wade in shallow waters to
grab fish, dig up turtle eggs with
Adult pairs are generally monoga- their feet, and turn over debris with
mous, highly territorial and exhibit feet to uncover insects or dead
strong site fidelity. The young re- animals, specially goats and road
main with their parents for sev- kill. Their nesting period ranges be-
eral months after fledging, and at tween 42 to 56 days with clutches
some sites two broods are raised of 1 to 4 eggs.
per year. Non-breeding caraca-
ras are consistently gregarious and Although populations on the island
nomadic, often congregating in have received some recent atten-
groups and roosting communally. tion by our curator at Etnia Nativa,
the crested caracara is relatively
un-studied throughout its range.
Rapid urban development in and
around the district of Noord has
resulted in loss of many nesting
habitats, and in 2004 this popula-
tion was classified as threatened
by Etnia Nativa studies, limiting
expansion of the tourist industry,
land-clearing, and habitat conver-
sion could be beneficial to the spe-
cies. In some regions, direct human
persecution continues, primarily by
bull dozing mature candelabra
cactus like the cadushi, Stenocer-
eusgriseus and the breba, Cereus
repandus, shooting and even poi-
soning, mostly because of nega-
Pic.8. Art project to bring awareness tive attitudes of non-islanders to-
to the general public regarding the Pic.9..Etnia Nativa’s Curator giving an explanation to the Queen of Holland of
importance of our breba wards scavengers.q the communal project during one of her official visits to the island.