Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 19.3–22.8 in
49–58 cm - Wingspan
- 47.2 in
120 cm - Weight
- 37–45.9 oz
1050–1300 g
Other Names
- Audubon's Caracara
- Caracara du Nord (French)
- Carancho, Caraira, Quelele, Totache (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- A common subject of folklore and legends throughout Central and South America, the Crested Caracara is sometimes referred to as the "Mexican eagle."
- Although it looks like a long-legged hawk and associates with vultures, the Crested Caracara is actually in the same family as falcons.
Habitat
Deserts
Open country, including pastureland, cultivated areas and semi-desert, both arid and moist habitats but more commonly in the former.
Food
Small Animals
Insects; small and occasionally large vertebrates, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals; eggs; and carrion of all types.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–4 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and covered in down.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Soaring
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations in United States have declined historically, but currently appear stable or slightly increasing. Classified as "threatened" in Florida. Common and widespread throughout Neotropics.
Credits
- References Morrison, J. L. 1996. Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus). In The Birds of North America, No. 249 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.