Crested Caracara
The crested caracara (Caracara plancus) is a long-legged raptor of open country from the southern United States to Tierra del Fuego. Despite its hawk-like looks, it is a member of the falcon family.
The crested caracara (Caracara plancus) is a long-legged raptor of open country from the southern United States to Tierra del Fuego. Despite its hawk-like looks, it is a member of the falcon family.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Crested Caracara in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Falcon on the Ground
Caracaras often walk on the ground, scavenging carrion, hunting small animals and raiding nests. They are bold and gather at roadkill and fires. They are related to falcons, not to vultures or hawks.
Where They Live
The species is found in grasslands, scrub and ranches. A small population in Florida is listed as threatened in the United States. Darwin collected caracaras on the Falklands and Patagonia.
Evolutionary Surprise
Genetic studies placed falcons and caracaras closer to parrots and songbirds than to hawks and eagles, showing that the resemblance to hawks comes from convergent evolution. See Peregrine Falcon.
Crested Caracara at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Caracara plancus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Falconiformes |
| Family | Falconidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Long-legged raptor with a black cap, bare red-orange face, and white neck; walks on the ground and scavenges like a vulture. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2016 |
| Family | Falconidae |
| Diet | Carrion and small prey |
See Also
- Peregrine Falcon — a true falcon
- Red-tailed Hawk — a hawk it resembles