Also known as: Mexican Eagle, Mexican Buzzard, Northern Caracara
- Caracara cheriway
Identification
L. 21 in (54 cm)
W. 48 in (120 cm)
- Distinctive shape
- Long neck and legs
- Dark with white ends
- In flight, a large and conspicuous whitish patch ("window") can be seen in the primaries
- Tail is pale with faint barring and a dark tip
Similar Species
Very similar to the closely related Southern Caracara.
Distribution
North, Central and northern South America.
In North America breeds in southern Arizona, southern Texas and east along the Gulf Coast into Louisiana and in south-central Florida. Also a rare breeder in southern New Mexico and breeds from Baja California and northern Mexico south to Panama.
In South America it occurs throughout most of the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Western Ecuador, North-western Peru, and Northern Brazil as far south as the Rio Amazon region. Also breeds in Cuba and the Isle of Pines and has occurred as a vagrant in Jamaica.
Common over most of range, but scarcer in the USA.
Resident.
Taxonomy
Also known as the Northern Caracara, Mexican Eagle, Caracara Eagle, King Buzzard, Audubon’s Caracara, and Mexican Buzzard.
Previously considered conspecific with the Southern Caracara. Following the split, the Crested Caracara become Caracara cheriway, while the Southern is Caracara plancus. Sometimes also includes the now extinct Guadalupe Caracara.
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- C. c. pallidus:
- Tres Marías Islands (off western Mexico)
- C. c. audubonii:
- C. c. cheriway:
- Eastern Panama and northern South America to northern Peru, Brazil, Aruba and Trinidad
Habitat
A range of habitats including arid scrubland and semi-desert, open woodland and riverine woodland, savanna with scattered trees, mangrove swamps and shorelines in some areas. Often near humans. Generally avoids densely forested regions (e.g. the Amazon), where largely restricted to the vicinity of rivers.
Behaviour
Diet
This bird will feed on snakes, lizards, fish, turtle eggs, small mammals, and other live animals, but will readily feed on carrion as well. The name in Spanish is Caracara quebrantajuesos, which means bone breaker. They crack open and eat the marrow from carrion bones.
Breeding
Nests in trees, shrubs, or cactus. Usually lays 2 or three eggs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Crested Caracara. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Crested_Caracara
External Links
