Caracaras are present along the Mexican - American Border, from Baja California to Eastern Texas, then south to Panama. There are also isolated populations in Cuba, the Isle of Pines, Louisiana, and in Central Florida

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) RESIDENT: in central and southern Florida, Cuba, and the Isle of Pines, and from northern Baja California, southern Arizona, Sonora, Sinaloa, Zacatecas, Nuevo Leon, central and southern Texas, and southwestern Louisiana, south locally through Central America and throughout most of South America, south to northern and central Peru and northern Brazil. Casual north to central New Mexico and southwestern Mississippi. Records from Washington, Oregon, and California, and north to Wyoming, Ontario, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey are of individuals of "questionable origin" (AOU 1998, 2000).

The crested caracara is about the same size as an osprey, but it has shorter wings. It has a length of approximately 53 to 58 centimeters, with a wingspan of approximately 1.2 meters. Caracaras can be identified by thier long yellow legs, and their large, hooked, bluish bill. Caracaras have black crowns and crests, with red facial skin. Thier tails are banded, alternating black and white, with a wide black terminal band. The ends of the primaries and at the base of the neck are also banded. Immature birds appear similar, but their coloring is duller overall. Both sexes of the birds are similarily plumaged.

Length: 58 cm

Weight: 953 grams

No other similar bird has all of the following characteristics: black crown, white neck, black belly, whitish tail with black band at end, and a white patch at the end of the dark wings.

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

The crested caracaras are birds of open countryside. Their typical habitats are either comprised of dry prairie with some wetter areas or agricultural environments. Caracaras spread themselves thinly over a wide area, with each pair maintaining a large territory.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland

Comments: Open country, including pastureland, cultivated areas, and semidesert, in both arid and moist habitats but more commonly in the former (AOU 1983); also coastal lowlands and beaches in some areas. Often occurs on the ground in company of vultures (National Geographic Society 1983).

Florida: associated with open country; dry prairie with scattered cabbage palms (Sabal palmetto), wetter prairies, and to some extent also improved pastures and sometimes even rather wooded areas having associated limited areas of open grassland (Johnsgard 1990); center of range is the Kissimmee Prairie, an area of shallow ponds and sloughs with scattered hummocks of live oaks and cabbage palms (see Johnsgard 1990).

Nests in trees, usually in site concealed among branches or palm fronds (often in cabbage palm in Florida, oak or Yucca in Texas), or in cacti; 2.5-15+ m above ground. In treeless areas may nest on rock ledge or under overhanging rocks, or on ground in secluded site such as marsh island. In Texas, typically nests in brush or woodlands on prairies or hill slopes (Oberholser 1974). Nests often are reused from year to year (Johnsgard 1990).

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The caracara is an opportunistic feeder, its diet consists of both carrion and living prey. The living prey is usually small turtles, turtle eggs, fish, insects, frogs, lizard, snakes, small birds, and some small mammals. Sometimes, when trying to capture a larger animal, pairs will unite their forces. Caracaras have also been observed eating with vultures.

Comments: Feeds opportunistically on carrion (and associated insect larvae), various live vertebrates, insects, and worms (Bent 1938, Evans 1982). Commonly utilizes road kills. May "rob" food from vultures. See Palmer (1988) for accounts of predation on eggs of birds and turtles. Pairs may hunt together.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Total population size is very large but unknown. Using 1986 Christmas Bird Count data, Johnsgard (1990) estimated the U.S. population at 2280 birds, with nearly all of these in Texas.

Maintains large territory, usually with mate. In Florida, home range width for breeding adults varied from 4.6-9.8 kilometers, average 6 kilometers (Morrison 1996). Most activity occurred within 2-3 kilometers of nest (Morrison 1996). May aggregate (especially at carrion) in groups of up to about 10 in nonbreeding season. Prebreeders occasionally form aggregations (Palmer 1988). Density was estimated at 4.8 birds per 40 ha in eastern Mexico (see Johnsgard 1990).

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 25.8 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 211 months.

Bonds between adult caracaras are strong, persisting until one of the mates dies. Together, the pair of caracaras will maintain a large territory. The nesting site is usually in a cabbage palm tree, and the nest is a bulky structure made with slender vines and sticks. The breeding season for caracaras is from January to March, and the usual clutch being two or three eggs. Incubation is about 32 days, and the young do not leave the nest until they are at least eight weekes old. The family of caracaras can be observed together for at least three months after the young fledge. There is usually only one brood, but two are not unusual.

Egg dates: late December-early April (mainly late January-February) in Florida (but nestling several weeks old has been observed in late December), late January-early June (peak March-April) in Texas, March-August in Mexico, mostly dry season in Colombia. Clutch size usually is 2-3. Incubation lasts about 30-32 days, by both sexes but probably mostly by female. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at about 8 weeks; Johnsgard (1990) questioned that the nestling period is this long. Family stays together about 2-3 months after fledging. Usually one brood each season.

Due to the drastic decrease in habitat, the caracara population has plummeted. The development of citrus groves, tree plantations, improved pastures, and other commercial and agricultural uses are destroying the caracara's natural habitat. Also, the increase amount of traffic in the caracara's natural habitat has resulted in many birds being hit by automobiles. Another significant factor into the decline of the caracara population is the fact that they have a low reproductive rate and face a small gene pool.

Many caracaras live on private lands in Florida, a few wandering to the east into Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island. Some pairs are being monitored on Federal Land, the Air Force's Avon Park bombing range in Polk and Highlands County.

US Federal List: endangered

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: no special status

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Common in many areas of the very extensive range (southern U.S. to South America); population trend varies regionally; probably increasing with deforestation in some areas, declining with agricultural and other development elsewhere.

Comments: In the U.S., declines have been associated with conversion of habitat to agriculture, residential development, and illegal shooting and trapping; increase in roads and traffic has resulted in increased mortality as the birds feed on road kills. Range has expanded in tropical America concurrent with deforestation; invasion of woody species with overgrazing tends to degrade habitat and result in declines (Ellis et al. 1988). In Texas, Dickinson (1995, Wilson Bull. 107:761-762) observed two instances of red imported fire ant predation on caracara hatchlings.

Management Requirements: Ellis et al. (1988) recommended using supplemental feeding and modifying habitats to encourage recolonization of previously occupied areas and movement into new areas.

Florida: see recovery plan (1989).

There is not any documented evidence that Caracara cheriway hinders the human economy.

There is not any documented evidence that Caracara cheriway benefits humans economically.

Comments: Formerly included in C. plancus, but recognized as a separate species by AOU (2000) on the basis of analyses of plumage, morphology, and reported hybridization by Dove and Banks (1999). C. plancus, now referred to as the Southern Caracara, is restricted to southern Peru and central Brazil south to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands (AOU 2000).

Formerly included in the genus Polyborus, but that name has no standing because it is based on a type species that is not identifiable (AOU 1993, Banks and Browning 1995).

The Florida population was listed by USFWS as part of subspecies Polyborus plancus audubonii, but this taxon evidently is no longer accepted; audubonii was not mentioned as a distinctive "group" or subspecies by AOU (1983, 1998, 2000) nor by Sibley and Monroe (1990). Johnsgard (1990) included audubonii in subspecies cheriway, and Sibley and Monroe and AOU (1998) included it (unnamed) in the cheriway group. Palmer (1988) recognized audubonii as a valid subspecies. Extinct form on Guadalupe Island now recognized as a distinct species C. lutosa (AOU 2000, Dove and Banks 1999, Sibley and Monroe 1990).