Text by Paula Dittrick, TMNCPC blogmaster, with photos from TMNCPC member Garrett Engelhardt
Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway) have a limited established range within the United States (Texas, Arizona, and Florida), but some unexpected sightings could mean their range might be expanding north in Florida at least.
During the past decade, occasional sightings of non-nesting caracaras have been reported as far north as Canada. A birder first reported and other confirmed a Crested Caracara in Jasper National Park in Alberta, during July 2015.
Earlier this year, two adult Crested Caracaras, possibly a breeding pair, garnered media attention when they were spotted on newly refurbished dunes at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
It’s rare to see a caracara on Kennedy Space Center, which hosts more than 330 bird species. Rebecca Bolt, wildlife ecologist at Kennedy, notes an isolated caracara population lives in south-central Florida.
Bolt said that the presence of a pair at Kennedy after breeding season might indicate a range expansion within Florida. The pair was reported in May. Breeding season typically is September through April.
Across southern Texas, the crested caracara can be seen throughout the year, but it’s more common in winter. The caracara is known to breed in Texas.
Glenn Olsen, honorary member of the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter, notes the Crested Caracara is the only member of the caracara group to live in the United States. Olsen wrote a species profile that is posted on the Houston Audubon web site.
“Caracaras are members of a neotropical group with several species ranging from Mexico, into Central America and on to South America,” Olsen said.
Although now classified as members of the falcon family, caracaras are not “true” falcons, Olsen writes. “And if field guides move to classification based on DNA, it is probable that caracaras will be removed from the falcon group.”
Olsen said Crested Caracaras can be found in open fields or grasslands in several areas surrounding Houston, including the Katy area north of I-10 and east to Hwy 290, Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsular, Brazos Bend area, and south of Houston.
Gonzales County, Texas, reportedly has the highest caracara concentration within the U.S. Ten surviving species of caracara remain worldwide, reports A Most Remarkable Creature, written by Jonathan Meiburg. His recent book calls caracara worldwide “one of the strangest and most wonderful animals on Earth.”