The Quelili

As the Quelili was already exctinct in 1900, there are no photographs today remaining of it. This drawing from John Audubon from 1833 depicts a close relative of the Quelili, the Northern Crested Caracara

The economic system currently prevailing on this planet is based on the continuous exploitation of human and non-human beings around the world. Industrial mining, fishing, logging and agriculture have already destroyed many valuable ecosystems in every continent on the globe and are continuing to do so.
Many plant and animal species are specialized on very specific niches and when those are degraded or destroyed, these species go extinct. Some species have even been hunted to extinction on purpose.

We decided to name ourselves after one of those species, the Quelili (Caracara lutosa), in order to carry on a remembrance of a magnificent bird, which will never fly on this planet again.

The Quelili, also known as Calalie or the Guadalupe caracara is a bird of prey which used to inhabit the Island of Guadalupe (current Mexico). After white settler-colonialists arrived on the Island, they introduced the European goat into the ecosystem. This quickly caused havoc as the goats multiplied to great numbers in the absence of a natural predator and caused the extinction of various plants endemic to the Island 1. The Quelili was decried as being a threat to the goats and though the settlers started to kill it in large numbers. In 1900 already the last individuals were shot and it was never seen again since.

There is very few information to be found about this bird and none at all about the role of it in the native culture on the island before colonization. If you have further information we would be very happy if you contact us.

  1. León de la Luz, José Luis; Rebman, Jon P.; Oberbauer, Thomas (1 January 2003). “On the urgency of conservation on Guadalupe Island, Mexico: is it a lost paradise?”. Biodiversity and Conservation. 12 (5): 1073–1082.