186 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
falcate, cut out, and in the Caracaras three or more; in the Falcons the 
feet are armed with long curved talons, while in the Caracaras the 
claws are short and weak. The Falcons are medium-sized muscular 
birds of strong swift flight and raptorial habit, their prey usually being 
pursued and captured in the air; while the Caracaras are large, rather 
sluggish and chiefly terrestrial vulturine birds, living largely on carrion. 
CARACARAS: Subfamily Polyborinae 
AUDUBON CARACARA: Polyborus Chenway auduboni Cassin 
Description.— Length: 20.5-25 inches, wing 14.6-16.5, tail 8.8-10, bill 1.2-1.4, 
tarsus 3.2-S.7. Bill without tooth; wing with four quills cut out. Adults: Skin of 
face nearly bare ; crown, horizontal crest and body blackish, contrasting sharply with 
while of sides of head and neck; wing quills marked with white, 
and tail white with 13 or 14 narrow dusky bars and wide black 
terminal band; iris brown, bill pale colored, cere carmine; feet 
yellow. Young: Similar, but brownish, body streaked verti¬ 
cally, tail cross-barred. 
Range. —Tropical and subtropical Zones of northern Lower 
Fig. 29. Caracara California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida south to 
Guiana and Ecuador. 
State Records. —The Caracara is a tropical species coming north to the extreme 
southern United States. Its first record for New Mexico is that of a single specimen 
taken at Fort Thorn during the coldest part of the winter of 1856 (Henry). It was 
not noted in the State again until 1914, when one was taken May 4, at Mesquite 
(Church), the skin being sent to the museum of the State College.—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —In trees and bushes as yuccas, mesquites, and cactuses, made of sticks 
and leaves. Eggs: 2 or 3, “‘heavily colored with blotches and clusters of rich reddish 
brown and smaller blackish over-spots, usually obscuring the creamy white ground 
color” (Coues). 
Food. —Carrion, rabbits, mice, prairie dogs, and other small rodents; fish, frogs, 
lizards, snakes, beetles, and grasshoppers. 
General Habits. —The Caracara combines some of the essential 
characters of both falcons and vultures, being a vulture-like, terrestrial 
carrion hawk, often seen perching on the tops of telephone poles. This 
interesting bird, called the Mexican Eagle, recognized on sight by its 
long neck and legs and singular color pattern—black cap, high white 
muffler, and blackish cloak—is the national emblem of Mexico and 
figures on the flag with a rattlesnake in its bill. 
While a scavenger like the true vultures, the Caracara chases 
rabbits, runs after wounded coots, steals fish from pelicans, and 
catches lizards and snakes. One was discovered by Major Bendire, as 
he says, “engaged in quite an encounter with a good sized snake which 
had partly coiled itself about its neck, both bird and snake struggling 
for a few minutes at quite a lively rate. The Caracara had the best of 
the fight, however,” and before the Major could get to the place, the 
