Coastal Caracaras

I’m here in South Texas, one of the great crossroads of bird migration, spending a week in the blinds.

Our first stars of the morning? Crested Caracaras.

They may look hawk-like, but they’re actually part of the falcon family.

And their behavior is a marvelous mix:

🪶 like vultures — they scavenge
🪶 like hawks — they guard from high posts
🪶 like crows — clever, curious, and wildly opportunistic

Caracaras solve problems, manipulate objects, learn human patterns, and show an intelligence on par with crows and ravens.

A spectacular start to the week.