Crested caracara
The crested caracara, often referred to as the Mexican eagle, is a large bird of prey and the national bird of Mexico. It belongs to the family Falconidae and is notable for its distinctive black crest atop a predominantly white head and neck. Typically found in semidesert lowlands, these birds thrive in environments with sparse vegetation, such as grasslands and coastal plains, and have adapted well to human presence by scavenging at urban sites like slaughterhouses and garbage dumps.
Crested caracaras are opportunistic carnivores, feeding on small animals, insects, and carrion, and are known for their boldness in stealing food from other birds, including pelicans and vultures. They possess strong toes and sharp talons, which aid in capturing prey. While they face minimal natural predation, threats include pesticides and traffic accidents. In captivity, they can live up to 30 years, but lifespan in the wild is less certain.
Mating occurs from January to April in the United States, with nests constructed from sticks and dung in various locations, including trees and on the ground. Females typically lay two to three eggs, which are incubated by both parents. The chicks fledge after about two months and reach maturity at two to three years of age. Crested caracaras often reuse their nests for multiple breeding seasons.
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Crested caracara
The crested caracara is the national bird of Mexico, which is why it is also called the Mexican eagle. "Caracara" is the sound this large bird of prey makes as it hunts for food.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Caracara
Species: Plancus
The crested caracaras are one of nine species of caracaras. Caracaras most often inhabit semidesert lowland areas with few trees and bushes and with sparse vegetation. Other caracaras inhabit grasslands, prairies, pastures, scrubby woodlands, and coastal plains. The trees and water in these areas provide perches and nesting sites as well as other sources of food. Caracaras have learned to adapt to the presence of humans and have moved into urban areas to feed at slaughterhouses and garbage dumps.
The two-foot (60-centimeter) bodies of crested caracaras weigh about two pounds (one kilogram) and have wingspans of nearly four feet (just over one meter). Their grayish-blue beaks are one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) long and extend from their bare, orange, yellow, or red faces. The name of the crested caracaras comes from the black crest of feathers on the tops of their otherwise white heads and necks. Brown plumage (feathering) with tan markings covers the upperparts of their bodies, while their rumps and tails have stripes or bars. The wings are broad and rather rounded at the tips, which makes them look like hawks' wings rather than falcons' wings.
Crested caracaras are opportunistic carnivores living on small animals, insects, and animal eggs. Another source of nourishment is carrion, or dead animal flesh, which includes dead fish. The caracaras also find invertebrates, or those creatures without backbones, underneath animal dung. Ranchers have lost sick lambs to caracaras, and pelicans and vultures have both had to surrender food to the bold aggression of crested caracaras. Strong toes and sharp talons along with downward-curving, hooked beaks catch and kill the birds' prey.
Caracaras do not have any significant natural predators. Of greater threat are poisonous pesticides farmers use on crops or the guns of sheep ranchers. Since crested caracaras eat carrion from roadways, oncoming automobiles may surprise and kill the birds before they are able to fly out of the way. Life spans in the wild are not certain, but the life spans of crested caracaras in captivity may be up to 30 years.
Crested caracaras in the United States mate in the months from January to April. The mating season is during the months of November and December in South America. Nests of sticks, cattle dung, and other materials may rest either on the ground, under overhanging rocks, in tall cacti or palm trees, or in other trees with dense leaves. The females each lay two to three white or pink, brown-spotted eggs. Both males and females take turns incubating the eggs. The caracara chicks hatch after one month and fly when they are about two months old. The young are able to mate when they are two to three years old. A pair of crested caracaras quite often uses the same nest at least two years in a row.
Bibliography
“Crested Caracara Overview.” All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Crested‗Caracara/overview. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Crested Caracara.” Audubon, 27 Feb. 2024, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/crested-caracara. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
Kainickara, Manjith. “Crested Caracara.” Animalia, animalia.bio/crested-caracara. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.