Crested Caracaras

These birds aren't usually around at this time of year

We have resident Crested Caracaras in Pima County year-round. During summers, most are southwest of Tucson. I think of Ajo Way (Highway 86) being their northernmost border. During winters many of our Crested Caracaras move north a bit and into Avra Valley and the Santa Cruz Flats in larger numbers. That's when most people in this area find them. The following bird was seen at a farm in western Marana late in the afternoon on August 1st. It was a good looking adult Crested Caracara.

The orange facial skin and light-blue bill are signs that this is an adult Crested Caracara. It looked very healthy and moved around well. It was seen at the western edge of the farm and whenever our truck drove down that road it walked across the road and moved into the mesquite thicket on the edge of the farm. Whenever we would circle around, perhaps 20 minutes later, it was back on the edge of the farm field and then would inevitably walk back to the mesquite thicket.

The Caracara did have a slight limp. Upon examining my camera images, I noticed the reason for the bird's limp. It was missing its right foot. The injury appeared old. Whatever the cause, the Caracara had adapted well, looked healthy and seemed to be a strong survivor.

Several weeks later I returned to the farm in the morning. I never did see the one-footed Caracara again but I did find one adult Crested Caracara perched in a tree. This one had two good feet! (one is hidden in this shot, but trust me!). I'll show you that foot later.

By the time I circled around the farm, that adult Caracara had flown off. I did manage to see two immature Crested Caracaras walking in the alfalfa fields. The immature Crested Caracara has pink skin on its face, and its feathers are mostly brown rather than black. The feathers on its neck are a light brown as opposed to the white feathers on the adult's neck. The alfalfa plants on the edge of the field were flowering.

Here is another look at the immature Crested Caracara. The pair of them were moving steadily through the field.

Although I did not see that adult Caracara again, I wanted to leave you with this other shot of it on the mesquite branch. You can see the toe and talon of its right foot sticking out.

Birdnote shares a bit about Crested Caracaras. In the United States, Crested Caracaras are seen in southern Arizona and southern Texas. There is a population in central Florida also but those birds are isolated from other Crested Caracaras. The ranges of the ones in Texas and Arizona are continuous with the Caracaras ranging to the south through Mexico, Central America, and into South America. I'm not sure why Birdnote didn't mention the Arizona population.