any of various large carrion-eating diurnal birds of prey of the genera Caracara, Polyborus, etc, of S North, Central, and South America, having long legs and naked faces: family Falconidae (falcons)
Word origin
C19: from Spanish or Portuguese, from Tupi; of imitative origin
caracara in American English
(ˌkɑrəˈkɑrə)
noun
any of various large New World birds of prey (family Falconidae) that feed mostly on carrion