Mexican Eagle (Northern crested caracara)

The northern crested caracara, also known as the Mexican eagle, is among the most common birds of prey in all of Central America. It is often considered to be its own separate species, but some taxonomists still classify it as a subspecies of the crested caracara. The popular name Mexican eagle is actually a misnomer. This bird is not an eagle at all; it belongs to the falcon family. The closest living relatives include the black caracara, black-throated caracara, and other caracaras.

3 Northern Crested Caracara Amazing Facts

• In contrast to most falcons, the caracara flies through the air with slow, deliberate wing beats.
• The northern crested caracara was regarded as a sacred bird by the Aztecs. One popular theory is that the Spanish settlers misinterpreted this bird as the golden eagle, which later became the national symbol of Mexico. While the golden eagle is found in northern Mexico, it isn’t nearly as widespread as the crested caracara. Some people still confuse this with the golden eagle, a completely separate species entirely.
• A distinctive line of crested caracara from Guadalupe Island off the Pacific coast of Baja California went extinct in 1900.

Where to Find the Northern Crested Caracara

The northern crested caracara is endemic to a huge stretch of territory between the southern United States (mostly Florida, Arizona, and Texas) and northwestern Brazil, but it is most commonly associated with Mexico and Central America. Its closest related sibling, the southern crested caracara, can also be found from northern Brazil down to the tip of Argentina. These birds prefer to live in semi-open habitats with enough nesting cover.

Northern Crested Caracara Nests

Nesting sites are usually established at the top of tall shrubs or trees, up to 50 feet above the ground. Live oak, acacias, and even giant cactuses can all become a home for the caracara. The nests are usually constructed out of sticks, weeds, and other random debris. They are typically reused from year to year.

Northern Crested Caracara Scientific Name

The scientific name of the northern crested caracara is Caracara cheriway. Caracara is a Spanish and Portuguese word that originally came from the indigenous Tupi language of Brazil. It is probably an imitation of the bird’s call. Cheriway is thought to be the native word for the crested caracara among people from Venezuela. The northern and southern crested caracaras are the only living members of their genus. Together they belong to the falcon family. The main difference between caracaras and other falcons is their more solitary, sedentary lifestyle. They are also slower flyers.

Northern Crested Caracara Size, Appearance, and Behavior

The crested caracara is a fairly large bird, measuring up to 26 inches long with a wingspan of around 4 feet. The unique plumage is quite striking: the dark brown lower body and outer wings transition to a combination of buff white feathers and dark brown bars along the chest. The cheek and neck feathers are mostly buff white with minimal brown. However, the crown at the top of the head, which can be erected into a crest, is covered in solid brown plumage. The beak is an unusual combination of an orange base and a light blue tip. The bird also features alternating bands of brown and white tail feathers. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but the juveniles have duller plumage.

The northern crested caracara spends a lot of time flying low in the air, searching for prey on the ground below. They start flying early in the morning and occasionally come down to the ground to hunt. One of their favorite strategies is to follow the winding path of the highway for potential road kills. Crested caracaras are mostly solitary hunters, but they do spend the breeding season with a mate. They communicate with each other through alarm and mating calls.

Northern Crested Caracara Diet

The northern crested caracara is considered to be an obligate carnivore, meaning they must eat meat to survive (although there are some scattered reports that they do consume fruit as well). They are highly aggressive when on the hunt, even chasing away vultures from their kills. It is considered to be an apex predator.

What does the northern crested caracara eat?

The northern crested caracara has a diverse diet that includes rabbits, squirrels, skunks, frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, fish, large insects, other birds and their eggs, and even young alligators. It does not care whether the prey is found dead or alive. It will feed on almost any kind of meat it can find. They will sometimes run along the ground to capture their prey.

Northern Crested Caracara Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

According to the IUCN Redlist, the crested caracara is a species of least concern. This means population numbers are quite healthy, and it requires no special conservation efforts. In some places, however, it does appear to be threatened with habitat loss, road accidents, and low reproductive rates. This bird has disappeared from some parts of its range in the United States. That is why it has a disconnected population in Florida.

What eats the northern crested caracara?

An adult caracara has few predators in the wild and therefore enjoys a long, healthy lifespan. Eggs and juveniles are more vulnerable to raccoons, crows, and other birds of prey, but they are usually well protected by the parents.

Reproduction, Young, and Molting

The northern crested caracara forms lifelong monogamous pair bonds that mostly last until one partner dies. Courtship usually involves an elaborate ritual in which they toss their heads back and give a guttural call. After pairing up, they will continue to reinforce their bond over the years with mutual preening and care. The breeding season takes place every year between January and March. Together they produce a clutch of two or three eggs, rarely four, at a time. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for the first 30 days. After the chicks hatch, the parents will continue to bring food back to the nest. It takes about six to eight weeks for the chicks to start flying, but they may remain with the parents for another few weeks. The typical lifespan in the wild is somewhere around 26 years old.

Northern Crested Caracara Population

It’s difficult to estimate the true population size, but the conservation organization Partners in Flight suggests a combined population for both the northern and southern crested caracara of 2 million. Numbers appear to be increasing overall, but they have declined in parts of the United States. Even though it’s listed as least concern overall, the Florida population of the crested caracara (Audubon’s crested caracara) is currently classified as ‘Threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act.