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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Crested Caracara for Wildlife Wednesday April 2015

A rather magnificent bird perched in the trees behind our house last week and I'm joining Tina at My Gardener Says.... to share this special event.  I had never seen one before.  In fact, there was a pair of them.




Crested Caracara is a falcon relative.  Unlike the falcon it prefers carrion to capturing prey.  Interestingly, the Caracara will land and walk to capture a prey rather than swooping in on it.



Sort of a cross between a bird of prey and vulture.  Some sources suggest this may be the bird on the Mexican flag and not the Golden Eagle.  Central Texas is the northern edge of their range which extends all the way south to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.  Not typically seen in the US outside Texas, Arizona, and Florida.





All About Birds was the source of ID and information for this post.




Fly away you beautiful creature.....


Thank you to Tina at My Gardener Says... for providing the opportunity to share the wildlife in our gardens on the first Wednesday of each month.
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13 comments:

  1. Beth at PlantPostingsApril 1, 2015 at 8:56 PM

    Wow, that is wonderful! You got some great photos, too. Is that the first time you've seen one?

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    Replies
    1. ShirleyApril 2, 2015 at 5:08 PM

      It is the first one we've seen.

      Delete
  2. TinaApril 1, 2015 at 9:32 PM

    Those are beautiful photos, Shirley. I love it when I travel to the Texas coast to see family, I always see at least one of these gorgeous birds in the sky, though I never see them in Austin. So glad you joined in today!

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  3. UnknownApril 1, 2015 at 11:29 PM

    What an intriguing animal. I'm especially surprise to hear that it WALKS to catch it's prey - you don't hear that too often! Thanks for sharing this rarer type of backyard bird.

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  4. AlisonApril 1, 2015 at 11:38 PM

    What a beautiful bird! Thanks for sharing your photos.

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  5. Mark and GazApril 2, 2015 at 3:50 AM

    Lucky to spot it this time, such a handsome bird!

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  6. TexasDebApril 2, 2015 at 8:01 AM

    What a spectacular sight! I've never seen one of those around Austin before - I wonder if our shifting temperatures are drawing them further north than usual. Simply stunning photos. Is it silly to admit I have a bit of avian envy?

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  7. DebraApril 2, 2015 at 8:05 AM

    Spectacular bird and wonderful photos. I've never seen one before so this was an extra special treat.

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  8. Donna@LivingFromHappinessApril 2, 2015 at 12:08 PM

    Shirley what a great bird...and how lucky to see it and capture it in these pictures....I had never heard of this bird even when I lived in AZ....love its look...very eagle like in some respects.

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  9. Kris PetersonApril 2, 2015 at 12:50 PM

    An interesting bird and great photos! I can see both the vulture and the eagle in the bird's head and stance.

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  10. MistiApril 2, 2015 at 2:51 PM

    I'm really surprised you hadn't seen one prior to this, considering where you are in Texas. I was really stoked when we moved back to Texas from Florida to see that they are relatively common around here...I've seen more than I ever imagined I would. We recently saw one in a pasture near my house here in Montgomery County and have seen them just outside Houston as well as in the Hill Country.

    In Florida they are mainly prevalent around Lake Okeechobee and the area surrounding that.

    Great birds!

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    Replies
    1. ShirleyApril 2, 2015 at 5:09 PM

      They are mainly coastal birds in Texas so it makes sense that you would see more of them 200+ miles closer to the coast than we are.

      Delete
  11. AnnaApril 2, 2015 at 7:06 PM

    Such a nice looking bird. And what a wingspan!

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