The Crested Caracara's (Polyborus plancus), also known as the Mexican Eagle, range makes it just north to the upper Texas coast. It's a fairly rare sighting, but a thorough search should turn up a few birds. The Crested Caracara is a falcon with the ways of a vulture. It feeds mostly on carrion, but does hunt small animal and insects. It inhabits open brush and farm land. The Crested Caracara has been called the "four-point bird" because it shows white at all four points in flight, head, tail, and wingtips. There is a black terminal band on the tail, and it has a black shaggy crest on a white head and neck. The crest makes it look a little like a Bald Eagle. The body is black, but many birds have a dark brown tint to them.
Crested Caracara
