The Crested Caracara
Crested Caracara by Laurie Sheppard
Taken at Choke Canyon State Park in McMullen County, TX
Recent sightings of a Crested Caracara flying over Harris Creek Trail and feeding on carrion alongside some vultures prompted us to revisit an article Dr. Wayne Meyer wrote for Friends of Hagerman over a decade ago. A comparison of recent eBird data to historical records makes it clear Dr. Meyer’s prediction was spot on. We hope you enjoy this reprint.
First published in March, 2011 By Wayne Meyer, PhD Lately there have been several sightings of Crested Caracara in Texoma This bird has a fascinating life history. Caracaras are birds of prey, but despite their large size and broad wings that get them mistaken for eagles, they are most closely related to falcons. Unlike other falcons, the Crested Caracara rarely takes prey in the air. Instead, Caracaras usually find prey by perching and waiting for the prey to go by, or they will cruise low over fields, not unlike the way Northern Harriers do. When a Caracara finds prey, it usually chases it on foot, which may explain why insects are a very large part of the Caracara’s diet. Caracaras are relatively common in central Texas, although they had been in decline from the 1930s to 1980s. If you have ever driven past a chicken farm between Houston and Corpus Christi, you may have seen one feeding on carcasses of dead chickens. Their willingness to eat carrion means Caracaras are often found among groups of vultures, and one local name for them is Mexican Buzzard, which reflects their fondness for carrion. Crested Caracara at Hagerman NWR By Mayve Strong Over the last few years, we have been seeing Caracaras more often at Hagerman NWR. One possible explanation for the increased sightings is that populations in Texas are recovering slowly | More Events, Info & Activities Birding with Jack: The Weekly Bird Census Tram Tours on the Wildlife Explorer! The Little Sit: March 2nd at Sunrise Second Saturday: Owls March 9th Gardening, Mowing and Work Crew Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! Sponsor the Friends With a Membership Subscribe to Our Monthly Featherless Flyer |
from the effects of pesticides and persecution. Some experts suspect, however, that like lots of other southern species that are slowly moving northward, the Caracaras are responding to global climate change. As human caused warming has occurred, the Caracara, White-winged Dove, Great-tailed Grackle and several other species have expanded their ranges northward.
Crested Caracara Sightings at Hagerman NWR:
Source: eBird
Photo by Randall Patterson Refuge Update: Though refuge lands are open from sunrise until sunset every day of the year, the Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday 9-4, Sunday 1-5. It's a great time to visit the refuge! |
Upcoming Activities:
The Friends of Hagerman is Hosting 20 Family Friendly Events in March! |
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The Friends of Hagerman NWR Annual Meeting
Sunday March 17, 2024 @ 2:00 pm in the Visitor Center
Come and meet the Board of Directors and hear reports about the progress we have made over the past year. All are welcome to attend.
Join the Butterfly Garden Docents Training Meeting April 6th Do you love butterflies and native plants, like to learn new things, enjoy being outdoors and meeting new people, and like helping others learn? Then consider joining the Hagerman Butterfly Garden Docent Program! |
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The eclipse at the refuge will be 99.62% of totality.
Check your eclipse percentage with the NSO Eclipse Map
Sea Glass Art for Mother's Day
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Click to Enlarge Images Below:
Reservations Required (Below), FREE and open to the public
Monday, March 11 at 10 AM:
Learn About Mammals' Tracks and Scat!
Make your very own mold of an animal track!
Make a food web craft!
Wednesday, March 13 at 10 AM
Get up close with our mammal skins and skulls!
Learn how mammals protect themselves with camouflage!
Make a hidden animal craft!
Friday, March 15 at 10 AM
Learn about one of our more unusual mammals - the bat!
Make a bat craft!
Spring Break at the Pottsboro Library:
104 N Main, Pottsboro, TX 75076
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Registration is Required Hurry! This event fills up fast! Questions? Email: friendsofhagerman@gmail.com |
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Complete a scavenger hunt, a leaf rubbing and identify a few common birds to become a Junior Ranger. At the end of the journey report back to the Visitor Center where you will be guided through the Junior Ranger Pledge and receive a merit of completion. Print a Hagerman-specific Junior Ranger Packet or Advanced Jr. Ranger Packet or pick one up in the Visitor Center. |
| The Junior Ranger Pledge As a Junior Ranger at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, I pledge to protect outdoor creatures small, big and huge. To keep the water, air and land clean. To make enjoying nature a routine. I will share my new skills with family and friends. When people and nature work together, everybody wins! |
Left to Right: Mike Petrick, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles and Terry Goode Each Tuesday a team of experienced birders, including Master Naturalist Jack Chiles, traverse 35 miles of refuge roads and hiking trails, documenting every bird they encounter. This Bird Census is reported to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use in research, and each week we will bring you a link to their actual bird count, and a summary of their adventures.
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Crested Caracara It was a pleasant cloudy day for today's census. There are still about 500 Snow and Ross's Geese present and there is plenty for them to eat. Most of the Northern Pintails have left. We counted 291 Green-winged Teal, 127 Northern Shovelers, 117 Gadwalls, 15 Mallards, 17 Canvasbacks, 24 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Lesser Scaups, 1 Bufflehead, 1 Redhead, 4 American Wigeons, 2 Blue-winged Teal and only 52 Northern Pintails down from nearly 1000 present in recent weeks. We saw a flock of 14 Wild Turkeys on the pipeline easement north of Meadow Pond. We had 8 first of season Common Grackles and one really nice find was a Crested Caracara in a field on Short Road being harassed by an American Crow. We counted 55 Wilson's Snipes in the marsh just before the road to Plover Pad. The snipes were really well camouflaged and would be easy to overlook. There were 175 Ring-billed Gulls on the Sandbar off the end of J pad, along with 77 Forster's Terns. We saw a Hairy Woodpecker, 5 Red-headed Woodpeckers,12 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 5 Downy Woodpeckers, 7 Northern Flickers and 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. We finished the day with 82 species. Today's Photo, Crested Caracara taken previously. |
See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results |
The Friends of Hagerman NWR Photo Club Meeting: Abstract Photography by Larry Petterborg Saturday, March 16th at 1:00 PM in the Visitor Center Join us for the March meeting of the Friends of Hagerman NWR Nature Photography Club. Photo club members, guests, and visitors are welcome to attend meetings. Larry Petterborg will give a presentation about Abstract Photography. Abstract Photography When people look at abstract art, they often say, “I don’t get it. What’s it supposed to be?” I don’t think that is the question to ask. I suggest that a better response to an abstract piece is, “how do I feel about this?” In this presentation, I will discuss “abstract” art in general and use that understanding for an exploration of abstract photography. We will begin with a didactic presentation of ideas and examples of abstract photography. Then move into a presentation and discussion of abstract images that I have made and how they were created. By the end of the session, it is my hope that the audience has a better idea of what abstract photography is and how it may help one become a better photographer. You can view Larry's photos at Larry Petterborg’s albums on Flickr.
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Register for a Tram Tour Today! |
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Group Tram Tour |
Sunrise at the Little Sit by Laurie Sheppard | Photo by Cathy Van Bebber |
Meet Jack and the Bird Census Team and learn how to identify the birds of North Texas while enjoying the beautiful sunrise over Lake Texoma! Modeled after Cornell's national "Big Sit" event, a group of dedicated birders invite you to join them at sunrise to conduct a bird count as multiple species fly to the water and the surrounding land to feed. Leaders will bring spotting scopes and will provide tips for identification of the many species you will see. This event lasts a couple of hours, but all are welcome to come and go as they please. Participants are advised to bring a chair, binoculars and water. The First Saturday of every month, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise. |
Location: H Pad, Sadler, Texas 76264 (H Pad is in Sadler, but it is part of the refuge) GPS Coordinates: 33.734961, -96.780582
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Early Bird Walk with Jack Chiles |
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Master Naturalist Jack Chiles will lead our Early Birding event, weather permitting. Bring binoculars or borrow ours. Meet at the Visitor Center and return in time for the Second Saturday program. |
Please Register (Optional) so we may inform you via email of unforseen changes/cancellations.
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Second Saturday: Owls with Dr. Wayne Meyer Saturday, March 9th at 10:00 AM in the Visitor Center
Owl by Donnie Simmons
Almost everyone knows what owls are, but how many of us have ever seen one? There are many myths about owls. We’ll try to dispel those myths, and also discover some little-known or underappreciated facts about owls. Then we’ll examine the owls that occur on or near Hagerman NWR, learning to tell them apart both visually and by ear. Wayne Meyer began birding at the age of 13 in Connecticut and has been at it ever since. He has birded extensively on both coasts of North America and in Texas and Oklahoma. He has birded in Scotland and Norway and recently completed birding trips to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and Peru. He has been a member of the Austin College biology department for over 30 years. His research interests include song learning in the Painted Bunting and grassland breeding birds, both of which projects have utilized Hagerman NWR as well as other nearby properties owned by Austin College. Future Second Saturday Programs |
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Do You Like to Work Outside? The Refuge Needs You! |
It takes a lot of people to have a beautiful garden! The Wednesday Garden Team Love to work with native plants and meet other gardeners? Come and help us add plants, weed and mulch our beautiful butterfly garden. Garden Team volunteers get first dibs on thinned native plants as well as access to seeds and cuttings for propagation. Gardeners meet on most Wednesdays, but times vary. Contact Us to subscribe to the volunteer garden team weekly email. Provide own tools and gloves. Minimum age 18, or 16 if accompanied by parent/volunteer. |
Mowing and Refuge Beautification: The Work Crew Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Show your love for nature by joining the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Outdoor Crew volunteers meet on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Contact Us for exact times, dates and other details about joining the volunteer Work Crew. Scouts welcome! |
Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! |
Do you enjoy meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, and like-minded people in our area? If yes, consider joining our team of Visitor Center Volunteers. You will greet refuge guests, distribute maps and other refuge information, and make sales in the gift shop. Shifts available every day of the week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 12:30 to 4:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Training is provided. Contact Us if interested. |
Sponsor the Friends of Hagerman NWR with a Membership
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Join Today! Memberships available for $10 |
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| Thank You To Our Contributors: Jack Chiles, Cindy Steele, Dr. Wayne Meyer, Lisa Wilkins, Laurie Sheppard Refuge Manager: Kathy Whaley Deputy Refuge Manager: Paul Balkenbush Visitor Services Manager: Spencer Beard Editors: Patricia Crain, Laurie SheppardFriends of Hagerman NWR Foundation 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX 75092 Phone: 903-786-2826 Join us on Facebook: |
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6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092
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Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.
Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer
See you at the refuge!