An unusual-looking Florida raptor, the crested caracara is Mexico’s national bird.
They are members of the falcon family, but their heads look very parrot-like—a red face and a thick curved bill offset their black-and-white plumage.
Although they will eat insects, reptiles, and fish, they won’t turn their beaks up at carrion if it’s easily available.
Caracara prefer open, grassy rangelands, and are mainly found in Florida between Lake Okeechobee and Lake Kissimmee, seen along the vast prairies and waterways of this region.
We’ve spotted them as far north as the St. Johns River floodplain near Mims.
Author of 45 books, Sandra Friend established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to expand on the field research she'd completed for her first six hiking guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Trail Association and the Florida Outdoor Writers Association.
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