So I managed to get another series of bird pages up under the bird tab this week.

The pages are for the Falconiformes order, the single family that makes up the order (Falconidae), and currently the only member of the family that I have pictures of: the crested caracara.

This particular member of the falcon family is only found in certain parts of a few states, otherwise it is spotted more regularly within Mexico and Central America.

This was a ‘new’ bird for me that I spotted years ago on our family vacation down to South Padre Island, Texas.

What struck me most about this bird was its cap of black feathers (though difficult to tell the color in the picture) and the contrast to the bright orange beak. I think we saw two or three different adults sitting on the top of yuccas just looking over the terrain.

I would like to get back down the South Padre Island again and drive through the wildlife refuge (where the pictures were originally taken) and see if 1) I can spot another crested caracara, 2) if areas managed to refill with water (when we originally went, Texas was going through a drought so some areas were dry instead of flooded), and 3) possible to see another ‘new’ to me bird.