Crested Caracara

The Northern Caracara or Northern Crested Caracara , called Audubon's Caracara in former times, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Southern Caracara and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara as the Crested Caracara – a name still commonly used for the Northern Caracara. As its relatives, the Northern Caracara was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, the caracaras are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are rather sluggish and often scavengers.

The Crested Caracara is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Crested caracara (Caracara cheriway ), is a medium-sized falcon with a long tail and broad wings. It is about 22 inches long with a 4 foot Crested Caracarawingspan. The sexes are similar. The bird is mostly black with a black cap that is crested at the end. The face is red, the beak hooked and gray. The throat and neck and base of the tail are white. There are white patches near the wing tips. More

Crested Caracara in North and Middle America. The distinctive Crested Caracara “combines the raptorial instincts of the eagle with the base carrion-feeding habits of the vulture” (Hudson 1920). Called ignoble, miserable, and aggressive, yet also dashing, stately, and noble, this medium-sized raptor, with its bold black-and-white plumage pattern and bright yellow-orange face and legs, is easily recognizable as it perches conspicuously on a high point within its territory. More

Photo of Crested Caracara at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas : Stub icon This Falconiformes article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v • d • e Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia. More

The Crested Caracara in the Changing Grasslands of Florida. Archbold Biological Station. http://www.archbold-station.org/ABS/publicationsPDF/Morrison-2006-FDPC-changinggrasslands.pdf. 13. ^ "Species Spotlight: Crested Caracara". Wildlife Viewing. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://www.floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/crstcaracara.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 14. ^ González Block, Miguel A. (2004). "El Iztaccuhtli y el Águila Mexicana: ¿Cuauhti o Águila Real?". Arqueología Mexicana. More

The Crested Caracara has a large range, estimated globally at 4,300,000 square kilometers. It is native to the nations of Central and South America as well as the United States, Mexico, and many island nations and prefers wetland, shrubland, grassland, even pasture or plantation land ecosystems. The global population of this bird is 100,000-1,000,000 individuals and it does not appear to meet population decline criteria that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. More

Where do they live? Crested Caracaras live in Canada, the United States (Texas, Arizona, Florida), Mexico, Central America, and South America. What kind of place do they like to live in? They like pasturelands, shrublands, and open land. They are sometimes in forests and wetlands. Interesting facts: Many raptors take advantage of their ability to fly fast by swooping out of the air to grab prey. More

Crested caracaras have a light colored neck and a white throat, with dark brown feathers on the wings, back and belly. The white head and tail may confuse it with the American bald eagle, but a closer look shows a dark tail bar and white wing tips. (Mature eagles have dark wings and the entire head and tail are white.) The large size, nearly two foot tall and wing spread of 4 feet makes them easy to see. More

Crested Caracaras, in contrast to most raptors, eat carrion as well as any animal they can catch. They are often seen perched on a fence post, tree or utility pole, scanning for live or dead prey or for vultures descending to a carcass. Early mornings and late afternoons are favored foraging times and they also search by flying low or walking on the ground. When prey is spotted from the air, they land and walk to it. (Morrison 1996). More

Crested Caracara: Found from Baja California to eastern Texas, south to Panama. Preferred habitats include prairies, savannas, desert scrub, and seashores. Breeding and Nesting Crested Caracara: One to four brown marked, white or light pink eggs are laid in a bulky nest made of vines and sticks, usually built in a cabbage palm tree. Eggs are incubated for 32 days by both parents. More

Crested Caracara Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * immaturePopOutZoom In immature * © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Texas, December 2000 Similar Species - * Black Vulture also has white in base of wingtips, but lacks white in tail and face. More

Northern Caracara or Northern Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway), called Audubon's CaracaraDescription The Northern Caracara has a length of 49–58 cm (19–23 in), a wingspan of 120 cm (47 in), and weighs 1,050–1,300 g (37–46 oz). It is broad-winged and long-tailed. It also has long legs and frequently walks and runs on the ground. It is very cross-shaped in flight. The adult has a black body, wings, crest and crown. More

Bent Life History for the Crested Caracara - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. now Crested Caracara - Caracara plancus AUDUBON'S CARACARA POLYBORUS CHERIWAY AUDUBONI Cassin HABITS Audubon's caracara is a northern race of a South American species that reaches its northern limits in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. It is rare in Arizona but fairly common in parts of Texas and Florida. More

As its relatives, the Crested caracara was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, the caracaras are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are rather sluggish and often scavengers. Video Crested Caracara The Crested caracara is a resident breeder in northern South America and most of Central America, just reaching the southernmost parts of the United States, including Florida, where it is resident but listed as threatened. More

Description: The crested caracara is a medium-sized raptor with bold black and white plumage pattern and bright yellow-orange, an unfeathered face, legs and tarsi. The head is slightly flattened with prominent black cap; the feathers are somewhat elongated to form a "crest." Lower back, abdomen, and wings are brownish black to black. The sides of head, throat, breast, and upper back are buffy white; tips of feathers on upper back and breast horizontally barred and spotted with brownish black. More

distinct population of the crested caracara, which was originally placed on the list of threatened and endangered species as Audubon’s crested caracara. The caracara is a large, boldly patterned hawk with a crest. It has a naked face, heavy bill, elongated neck and unusually long legs. Initial efforts focused on guiding the Service’s planning partners, the U.S. More

The Crested Caracara is a resident breeder in most of South and Central America, just reaching the southernmost parts of the USA, including Florida, where it is resident but listed as threatened. South of the US border, it is a commonly seen large raptor. This is a bird of open country, which nests in a tree or on the ground, laying 2 to 4 eggs. It is 58 cm (23 in) long with a 125 cm (4 ft) wingspan. More

Crested Caracara Photos and Species Information for Mexico See current, on-the-spot sportfishing reports and photographs of fish caught at Mexico's top vacation spots in this week's edition of "Mexico Fishing News" and see hundreds of other fish pictures and species information by clicking here for our main Fish Photo List. More

Crested Caracara has black plumage on body, wings and crown. Adults have dark chestnut crest, while juvenile have darker. Neck and rump are white, and we can see white patches on wing tips, conspicuous in flight. Long tail is white, barred with black and with broad black terminal band. Breast and base of neck extended towards nape and shoulders are white, finely streaked with black. Wings are long and somewhat blunt and ample. More

The Crested Caracaras More

The crested caracara is also known as the southern caracara, common caracara, and Mexican eagle. In scientific classification, the caracaras are grouped with falcons, although they share few, if any, of their visible physical and behavioral characteristics. The adult is very distinct. It has a large, compressed, and strongly hooked bill. Its legs are long, its talons thin and blunt. Its wings are long, ample, and somewhat blunt; its flight, direct, purposeful, raven-like with noisy wing beats. It rarely soars. More

The Crested Caracara is another one of those primarily tropical species that reaches its northern range limit in our state. Most closely related to the falcons, at least eight species of Caracaras occur across the New World Tropic and South Temperate Zones, the name “caracara” itself deriving from a Guarani Indian (of Paraguay) rendition of a call. More

A Crested Caracara was recently spotted at the Mojave Narrows - February 28, 2008 - 3:28 PMSARAH BATCHA Staff Writer Stephen Meyers Special to the Daily PressA rare Crested Caracara was witnessed Thursday morning at the Mojave Narrows National Park. VICTORVILLE— Recent sightings of a rare bird, the crested caracara (Caracara plancus), at the Mojave Narrows Regional Park have begun to draw local interest. More

The crested caracara is a large raptor with a crest, naked face, heavy bill, elongate neck, and long legs. Both sexes look alike. The tail is banded with white and black and has a broad dark terminal band. The legs and feet are deep yellow. The crested caracara occurs throughout most of South America. The northern limit of its distribution is the southern USA, including Florida. More