Crested Caracara

Caracara cheriwayOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Falcons (Falconidae)

Codes: Common Name: CRCA Scientific Name: CARCHE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175595

Breeding Location:

Open landscapes, Desert

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Declining, Fairly common to rare

Egg Color:

White or light pink, usually with brown markings

Number of Eggs:

1 - 4

Incubation Days:

28 - 33

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Sticks and twigs.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Crested Caracara: Large, ground-dwelling falcon with black body and finely barred tail, wing panels and upper breast. Head crest is black, facial skin is red, and large bill is blue-gray and hooked. Legs are long and yellow. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has brown-streaked upper half of body and white-spotted wings.

Range and Habitat

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.

Foraging and Feeding

Crested Caracara: Diet includes carrion, small turtles, turtle eggs, fish, insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, small birds, and small mammals. When pursuing larger prey, a pair sometimes works together; has been observed feeding on carrion with vultures.

Vocalization

Crested Caracara: Usually silent, but makes a loud "wick-wick-wick-wick-querrr" during breeding season.

Similar Species

Crested Caracara: Black Vulture lacks head crest, red face, and barred breast and tail.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Crested Caracara

Crested Caracara: Large, ground-dwelling falcon, black body, finely barred tail, wing panels and upper breast. Head crest is black, facial skin is red, and large bill is blue-gray and hooked. Legs are long and yellow. Strong steady wing beats alternated with long to short glides. Soars on thermals.

● Song: "wick-wick-wick-wick-querrr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Crested Caracara: Diet includes carrion, small turtles, turtle eggs, fish, insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, small birds, and small mammals. When pursuing larger prey, a pair sometimes works together; has been observed feeding on carrion with vultures.

● Breeding & 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.

● Similar species: Crested Caracara: Black Vulture lacks head crest, red face, and barred breast and tail.

Flight Pattern

Strong steady deep wing beats., Often alternates series of wing beats with long to short glides., Sometimes soars on thermals.

● Range & Habitat: Crested Caracara: Found from Baja California to eastern Texas, south to Panama. Preferred habitats include prairies, savannas, desert scrub, and seashores.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationDeclining, Fairly common to rare

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight33.6 Ounces

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Crest

Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America