Crested caracaras, Texas, USA
© Alan Murphy/Minden Picture
Crested caracaras
Found in the southern United States through Central and South America, the crested caracara is a member of the falcon family and makes its intentions loudly known, throwing its head back with rasping calls and cackling cries to attract a partner. Couples are loyal to each other and to their home, mating for life and returning yearly to the same nesting site and even the same tree.
Although the raptor depicted on the Mexican flag is a golden eagle, that imagery may have been inspired by the northern caracara, the region-specific species seen in our photo. Renowned ornithologist Rafael Martín del Campo believes that the caracara was depicted in pre-Columbian Aztec art and later was adopted as the bird symbol on the flag of Mexico.
Related Images
Water wheel in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
Almond orchards in bloom, Sacramento Valley, California
Leopard snoozing in a tree in Namibia
Circular agricultural fields in Morgan County, Colorado
Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) lying on a bed of sea grass in Carnac Island, Western Australia
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
Bing Today Images
