Crested Caracara Field Work

I arrived in Florida about two weeks ago, and have started work on a Crested Caracara project, working for Virginia Tech.  I'll be working with Dr. Jen Smith to monitor breeding pairs at proposed development sites, and she will continue work over a few years to see changes in their movements and behavior in response to this development.  The sites include STAs, reservoirs, and ethanol plants, the last of which will be surrounded by masses of sugar cane to be used in yet another so-called "green" energy that will no doubt wipe out every Cabbage Palm that a Caracara could nest in or has nested in.  Caracaras have an extremely small range in Florida, and it is very sad that any could be displaced by such development. 

The good news is that the ranch we are living on, and that many Crested Caracaras also live on, is part of the Payment for Ecosystems Services Plan under the Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project, in which ranchers are paid to retain and manage water on their land.  Since this ranch is part of the northern Everglades region of Florida, this is of vital importance in keeping more of a balance with agriculture and the natural ecosystem.

We've got data pointing us to territories of Caracaras in previous years, and have seen them at most of those sites.  We've got a few nest trees pinned down, but are in the process of working out access on private land, which is a pickle when dealing with an endangered species.  Despite this we've been seeing lots of Caracara and are staking out areas for trapping.  Eventually we will being trapping nesting pairs and attaching satellite transmitters that will give us very detailed information about their movements in response to new development.

adult Crested Caracara

adult Crested Caracara flying into Cabbage Palm that contains its nest

adult Caracara on ground near its nest, foraging on cow patties

adult Creseted Caracara preening

Subadult Crested Caracara

Sandhill Cranes are very numerous on most ranches. 

There is a very obvious size difference between the male

and smaller female visible in this photo.

Alligators are very common along the irrigation canals throughout our study sites

Red-shouldered Hawks are everywhere in Florida and also take advantage

of irrigation ditches to hunt for small amphibians and lizards

A few different warbler species are wintering in Florida, including Common Yellowthroat (above), Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Black and White Warbler