It’s always a thrill to see a Crested Caracara. They are a Federally designated threatened species so sightings are not real common. Caracaras are usually only found in parts of Florida, Texas and Arizona in the United States. Their range is mainly in Mexico, Cuba and Central America.
They feed on dead animals like vultures but will also eat insects, frogs, snakes and other small birds. When they’re not scavenging, they like to sit on fence posts or in tall trees. Their vision and sense of smell are amazing. They are normally not real wary so if you do find them at a reasonably close distance, getting a good photo is possible.
Recently we were fortunate to come across two perched atop utility poles in a pasture in rural Sarasota County. When we stopped to watch, one cooperated by flying towards us and landing in the field. It walked around the field for several minutes searching for a small animal or likely a nest of meadowlark eggs. A few minutes later the other spotted something and flew and landed 20 feet in front of me. It found a dead meadowlark. It eventually picked up the carcass and flew off to join the other caracara.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
