Neighborhood Intruder?

A tropical falcon version of a vulture, meaning they tend to consume carrion most often, the Crested Caracara [aka, in folklore, Mexican Eagle] can be spotted just about everywhere in my 'hometown' vicinity year 'round. From the Gulf shores to the ranch fields and cotton farmland. EVEN about a block from where I live in the subdivision!! Near where our home is located, there is a drainage ditch constructed by the city, and one morning as we pulled out of the neighborhood to turn onto a main street to head toward the freeway, this caracara [top four images] was just sitting pretty as you please near the curb/gutter of the street, just a few feet from the ditch, and looking directly at us through the windshield of our car. The next two images [the two of a caracara atop a power pole] were taken near King's Ranch along a highway. For those of you that may be interested [and perhaps not Texan], King Ranch is one of the world's largest operating cooperations that was once covering a good portion of Texas back in the 1800s. And, for me at least, the last two images are rather an unusual sighting in a downtown park near the bay...it flew above us by just a few feet and then landed in a tree yards away from us on the path!! All images were taken throughout 2013, at different intervals.




CRESTED CARACARA
photos taken: my neighborhood - Corpus Christi, Texas * Near King's Ranch - Kleberg County, Texas * Hans Suter Nature Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas
Habitat Range: Crested Caracara


TRIVIA:

Many raptors [Crested Caracara are of the Falcon family] take advantage of their ability to fly fast by swooping out of the air to grab prey. The Crested Caracara is a slow flyer which is why they look for dead things to eat.

They are Mexico’s national bird. [perhaps reasoning why they're nicknamed Mexican Eagle?!!] Size about 2 feet [.60960 meters] - with open wingspan about 4 feet [1.2192 meters].

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