The Story
I photographed this Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) at the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, Florida, United States, in October 2020. The word caracara comes from Old Tupi karakará, probably imitating the bird’s call. Florida holds a relict population of northern Crested Caracaras dating back to the last glacial period, when Florida and the Gulf Coast were covered in oak savanna. Cabbage palmettos are its preferred nest sites, and it is often found in open country near people. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. When usual methods have not fully rehabilitated a bird, the center uses falconry as a rehabilitation tool, and guests can book private Falconry Experiences with select birds.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) belongs to the family Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2023), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List