Crested Caracara

Overview

The crested caracara, Caracara plancus, is a bird of prey in the falcon family, Falconidae, native to the Americas. It is a hardy and adaptable species found in diverse environments ranging from semi-arid deserts to subtropical forests and urban areas.

Identification

• A large raptor with a total length of 50–65 cm and a wingspan of 120–132 cm.
• Plumage features a dark brownish cap, belly, and tail tip, contrasted by whitish-buff auriculars, throat, and nape.
• The chest, neck, and back are whitish-buff barred with dark brown, while the legs are yellow and the bare facial skin and cere are deep yellow to reddish-orange.
• In flight, the outer primaries display a large conspicuous whitish-buff patch, or 'window'.

Habitat

Native to the southern and southeastern United States, Mexico, mainland Latin America, and some Caribbean islands, with its range extending from Tierra del Fuego to the southern United States. It avoids the Andean highlands and dense humid forests like the Amazon rainforest, preferring open or semi-open habitats such as plains, swamps, and coastal areas. The species is often found near humans and can adapt to urban environments.

Diet

A bold and opportunistic forager, it primarily feeds on carcasses but also steals food from other raptors, raids nests, and takes live prey such as insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. It may also consume fruit and has been observed following trains or cars to scavenge food thrown out. It is dominant over black and turkey vultures at carcasses and actively pirations food from other birds by chasing them until they drop or regurgitate their meals.

Did you know?

The word "caracara" is likely onomatopoeic, imitating the bird's call. It was proposed in 1960 that this species, rather than the golden eagle, was the mythical bird atop a prickly pear in the founding story of Tenochtitlan, a view that contradicts the traditional depiction on Mexico's national insignia.