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Did You Know?
- The call of the Northern Crested Caracara consists of a long, rasping sound that will typically transform into a high-pitched shriek.
- Unlike other birds of prey, the Crested Caracara doesn’t soar, even though they are a strong flier and enjoys gliding just above the ground.
- The Northern Crested Caracara is the emblem of Mexico and it often referred to as a Mexican Eagle
A Day at the Beach
While the distribution range of Northern Crested Caracara has been known to extend as far north as the state of Florida, they are typically found living throughout Cuba, northern South America, Central America and of course Mexico. In these areas they can be found inhabiting a wide range of open and semi-open countryside including lowlands, cattle ranches, prairies, coastal woodlands, coconut plantations and even along the scrub forest by the beach. I guess even birds can enjoy a nice relaxing day at the beach, once in awhile. Looking at their habitat preferences, it is easy to see that they can be found pretty much anywhere throughout their distribution range.
The Walking Assassin
Regardless of where this flying raptor lives, their diet consists of mostly carrion (dead animals), however, these omnivores have been known to supplement with a variety of items including live reptiles, small mammals, earthworms, shellfish and even young birds. Interestingly enough, the Caracara is one of the few birds of prey that will hunt on foot. They give up the dramatic flying swoop and instead rely on turning over branches and rooting through cow dung looking for tasty prey. Personally, I would have stuck with the dramatic flying swoop because anything has to be better than searching for food in pile of cow dung. I think only the Caracara and the Dung Beetle would disagree with me.
The Sacred Eagle
The Northern Crested Caracara is believed to be the “Sacred Eagle” in the Aztec and Florentine codices, which is why this bird was given the honour of being the emblem of Mexico. Luckily, the population of the Crested Caracara is actually increasing, probably as a result of their love for open land, including agricultural fields. Regardless, this would seem to indicate that the Mexican Emblem will be around for a long time to come.
Slider Photo Credits:
Photo 1: Mauli
Photo 2: Terry Ross
Photo 3: Nature Pics Online
