The Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) is a Federally Threatened raptor native to Central America and parts of the southern United States. In Florida, the population is geographically isolated, making it especially vulnerable to habitat degradation and other stressors. While these striking birds are most often seen foraging alongside vultures on carrion, this behavior puts them at increased risk of vehicle collisions – an emerging threat compounding the impacts of habitat loss.
Historically, Florida’s caracaras occupied expansive dry and wet prairies and shallow herbaceous wetlands dotted with cabbage palms, oaks, and pines. Today, widespread development and agricultural conversion have pushed the species into open cattle pastures and low-intensity agricultural lands, habitats that now support the majority of the state’s population. Caracaras primarily nest in cabbage palms, though they may also use nonnative palms and scattered hardwoods. These wide, open landscapes offer suitable foraging conditions and remain critical to the species’ long-term survival. Understanding their habitat preferences and nesting ecology is essential for conservation planning, permitting, and land management across central and south Florida.
If your property is within the caracara’s known range, development may require a survey to determine their presence. The Caracara survey season is January 1st – April 30th. If caracaras are found on the property, mitigation measures, such as habitat preservation, may be required before development can proceed.