Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
FALCONIDAE Members:
General Comments
The Crested Caracara is essentially a non-migratory "falcon" of dry grasslands, prairies, ranchlands, and deserts, mainly from TX and AZ southward into the tropics. A disjunct population occurs in central FL. Despite it being a rather sedentary species, populations appear to be slowly increasing, at least in TX, and as a result there have been quite a few records, probably mostly of immature birds, straying far to the north and east of the usual range. Most states in the eastern United States now have records. Actually, NC had its first published record in 1972, but later research found out that a bird had escaped from a VA zoo not far away and not too much earlier. Then, in early 2015 a non-birder reported a Crested Caracara in the Coastal Plain, but without a photo or thorough written details, the report was considered "unresolved" by the NC BRC. Fortunately, a juvenile was seen in the Buxton (Dare) area from 17 Jun - 12 Jul 2016* (Chat 80:144), (Chat 80:146); and it was photographed -- photos on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery -- and observed by many dozens of birders. The NC BRC voted to accept this caracara as a wild individual, and thus the species has been placed on the Definitive List based on accepted photos. One was seen at Cedar Island (Carteret), on 24 Jul 2022*; no photographs were taken, but the NC BRC accepted the report based on the written description (Chat 87:27). In 2023, one was photographed along NC 20 in northern Robeson on 3 Mar; it had apparently been feeding on a deer carcass* (Chat 87:58), (Chat 88:54). A photo of this last bird has been posted to the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery; this is the third accepted state record. Another caracara was photographed at Moyock (Currituck) on 18 Mar 2024* (Chat 88:72), (Chat 90:4); a photo is posted on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
The species' status on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina: either Definitive, Provisional, or Extinct, as administered by the NC Bird Records Committee. The Provisional List contains species for which there are less than three accepted sight (i.e., non-documented) records. Species of unaccepted origin are not included on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina.
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Four accepted records, and two other non-accepted reports (see above).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountains
No records.
Finding Tips
1/2*