Crested caracara Caracara cheriway

Identification Tips:

• Length: 21 inches Wingspan: 48 inches
• Sexes similar
• Medium-sized, broad-winged, long-tailed hawk
• Thick, gray hooked beak, with reddish cere and bare facial skin around eye
• Long neck, especially apparent in flight
• Long legs
• Black cap with slight crest at rear of head
• White bases to outer six primaries form white panel on outer wing like that on Black Vulture
• White rump, uppertail and undertail coverts
• White tail with black barring and thick terminal band
• Black belly

Adult:

• Black back
• Breast and upper back marked by fine, dark vermiculations

Immature:

• Brown back
• Pale buff neck and throat
• Pale breast streaked with dark brown

Similar species:

Black Vulture has a similar white wing panel on dark wings, but is otherwise quite different in shape and coloration.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.