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The black caracara (Daptrius ater) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae, found in the lowlands of the Amazon basin and French Guiana. Its common habitats include rivers, gallery forest and wooded savanna, at elevations up to 900 meters (3,000 ft). A largely sedentary and sociable species, it is an opportunistic omnivore, its diet including carrion, small mammals and reptiles, fish, fruit, insects, and other bird species. It is also known for removing parasites from animals such as tapirs and capybaras. Adults are mostly glossy black, with a white band on the tail, and bright yellow to orange-red feet and face. This black caracara was photographed on a branch near the Napo River in Sucumbíos Province, northeastern Ecuador.Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp