The Crested Caracara, with its large bicolored and crested head, long neck, long legs, and diagnostic orange-red face make it one of the more distinctive raptors in North America. Sexes are similar in appearance. It is a highly opportunistic predator that feeds both on carrion and live prey, and a variety of records give testament to the tremendous flexibility of its hunting skills. The core of the bird's range extends from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, excluding high elevations in the Andes. In the United States, it can be found in areas of open prairie in three disjunct regions; central Florida, southeastern Texas, and south-central Arizona. The only viable, but apparently decreasing population, lives in Florida.
SIZE
The Crested Caracara is slightly dimorphic, that is females are a bit larger than males. Overall length for both sexes averages 23 inches (58 centimeters). Average wing length of the male is 15.5 inches (393.5 millimeters) while the female averages 15.4 inches (391 millimeters). For both sexes the wingspan averages 49 inches (1250 millimeters). Average body weight of the male is 1.8 pounds (834 grams) and for the female it is 2.1 pounds (953 grams).
MORPHS
The Crested Caracara has only one definitive plumage type. There is no evidence of color-morph shifts within its range as is evident in other raptors such as the Red-tailed Hawk.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
Adult - Perched
- distinct black head with crest, long neck, and long yellow legs
- cere, eye ring, facial skin from pale yellow to orange-red
- center of upper back and around to breast white with fine bars
- back and wings dark brown or black
- black belly that appears in a wide band
- narrow bars on tail with terminal band five inches wide
- undertail coverts rufous
Immature - Perched
- long neck and pinkish, yellowish to gray legs
- back and crown brown
- streaks on upper back
- black cap streaked with brown
- nape and breast buffy, and streaked with brown
- cere, facial skin, and eye ring less vibrant, often gray to pinkish
- upper parts and wing coverts tipped in buff and white giving a spotted appearance
SIMILAR SPECIES
The Crested Caracara is so distinctive that it should not be easily confused with any other North American bird of prey. At a distance, in flight, the Black Vulture and Common Black-Hawk may be mistaken for a Crested Caracara but the length of neck and tail patterns can be used to separate them.
OTHER NAMES
The Crested Caracara is also known regionally as the "Audubon's" Caracara, "Common" Caracara, "Guadalupe" Caracara, Mexican Buzzard, and Mexican Eagle.
ETYMOLOGY
The genus name, Polyborus, is from the Greek word with the suffix "poly" meaning "many or varied" and "borus" meaning "gluttonous." The specific name, Plancus, is derived from Latin and means "flat footed." Thus, the full scientific name refers to the sometimes ambulatory lifestyle of this bird - a "varied gluttonous" and "flat-footed" bird!
MYTHOLOGY
The Crested Caracara was important in the mythology of the Aztecs. When one of their tribes, the Tenocha, observed a Caracara with a snake in its mouth atop a cactus, they believed it to be an omen and built a very elegant city called Tenochitlan there. Cortez destroyed Tenochitlan in 1521 and the area is now occupied by Mexico City.
In present day Ecuador and Peru there is a popular myth that if domestic fowl are mated with a Crested Caracara, their progeny will be ferocious fighters.
VOICE
A variety of calls have been described by different observers. The Crested Caracara has a diagnostic "Rattle - Call - With - Head -Toss", similar to "cre-a-ak cro-ak crea-ak." When it is carrying food, or nest material, it will give a short "wuck" or "gwuck." Sometimes a harsh "cruk", repeated in rapid succession at increasing pitch followed by a "purring" is uttered. The significance of this call remains unexplained.
