A
Crested Caracara was reported from Montgomery in Orange County earlier in the week, but my first opportunity to go for it was Sunday morning. It had been feeding on a dead Opossum on a golf course, and true to its scavenging nature it was still within a few yards of the carcass early on Sunday.
The range of this species within the US has historically been confined mainly to southern parts of Texas, California, Arizona and Florida. In recent years they have been seen with some regularity much further afield, including many records from the north-eastern US.
No signs of jesses, rings or feather damage, so not obviously an escaped bird...
...however... A closer look reveals that while its right eye is fine...
...the left eye is missing. There is a suggestion that a bird seen in Cape Cod in April was also missing its left eye, and was therefore presumably the same bird. In any raptor other than a scavenger this would be a death sentence, and a sure sign of an escapee. Not sure what to think now.
The dead Opossum is a big factor in keeping this bird in the same spot for a few days.
Once the main group of twitchers arrived it kept away from the carrion, making only one close pass, presumably just to check out the situation.
ebird records of
Crested Caracara in the US for the past 10 years.
Two
Pileated Woodpeckers flew over while we were at the Caracara.
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