Maya
Crested Caracara Ambassador

Female
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About Maya
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Description
The Crested Caracara looks like a hawk with its sharp beak and talons, behaves like a vulture, but is a large tropical black-and-white falcon. It is instantly recognizable standing tall on long yellow-orange legs with a sharp black cap set against a white neck and yellow-orange face.
Habitat
The Crested Caracara is a bird of the open country, nesting and foraging in open areas year-round, and are found from grasslands and deserts to rangelands and scrubby areas, from sea level to around 10,000 feet.
Range
The Crested Caracara is found in the southwestern and southeastern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and some Caribbean Islands. Throughout its range it is a non-migratory resident.
Life Span
Crested Caracaras have a long lifespan, living between nine to twenty-two years in the wild. One caracara in captivity lived for at least 30 years.
Prey / Food
Crested Caracaras primarily eat carrion but also eat live prey including insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Crested Caracaras are resourceful foragers and eat just about anything they can find. They wade in shallow waters to grab fish, dig up turtle eggs with their feet, and turn over debris with their feet to uncover insects.
Babies / Nests
The Crested Caracara is the only falcon that builds their own nest. Other falcons use nests built by other species or on the ground of ledges. Nests are approximately 2 feet across and are built in the tallest tree, cactus, shrub, or other structure. Crested Caracara breed from September to June, laying 1 to 4 eggs and raising broods of 1 to 2 chicks.
Native American Folklore
The word Caracara comes from a South American native name based on the bird's rattle like call.
Caracara is a powerful bird in Native cultures; with its fierce expression, robust build, and strong talons, this bird embodies strength, speed, and hunting prowess.
Caracara’s strong vision is linked to prophecy. Legends tell of shamans transforming into Caracara to see into the future.
Across its range, Caracara appears in indigenous stories, rituals, art, and legends, often representing boldness, power, or divine authority.
Southwest Native Tribes see the Caracara as a sacred creature with mythical connections. The Zuni and Pueblo people call Caracara, Ko’ko, a divine agent of their sky god.
The Pueblo Tribes associate Caracara with rain and fertility. Caracara feathers are used in rituals to summon rain.
Pueblo, Navajo, Zuni, and other Southwestern tribes, believe Caracara carries wisdom from the spirits and gods. Its speed, sight and skill embodied ideals they sought to channel through ritual.
Navajo place Caracara into intricate sand paintings representing spiritual forces of their universe. Caracara feathers and parts are used by medicine men for healing ceremonies.
Among the Apache, Caracara is a totem symbol of swiftness, vision and ferocity. Warriors paint Caracara symbols on their shields or wear Caracara feathers to invoke these qualities in battle.
According to Zuni legend, Caracara once traveled to the villages of the underworld at night to report back the news and omens to the sky god.
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