The Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway).
The Crested Caracara, a member of the falcon family, can be found nearby on the open pasture lands of the large horse and cattle ranches here in central Florida. There are small numbers of it in the southwestern United States also. It is known for eating just about anything it can overpower. It has even been observed swallowing baby alligators. It’s related to the Caracaras of Central and South America but is classified as a subspecies. The birds on this page were photographed in Citrus County, Florida.
A friend, after viewing the images of the Crested Caracara, nicknamed him Moe after one of the Three Stooges. She said the top of his head looked just like the toupee that Moe wore.
