The Crested Caracara is identifiable by its heavy bill and white neck, whilst the rest of its body is covered in dark feathers. These birds are solitary and only interact with others from their species during the mating season.
That being said, these birds do usually mate and stay together for several years and will always nest in the same territory. Nesting in the same tree if it is possible.
Crested Caracaras hunt by swooping and they use the ground to get a short run up before taking flight, this means they like to avoid densely wooded areas.
The best place to try and see these falcons is in open wooded areas, such as grasslands, farmlands and even some golf courses.
Their nests will be built in the tallest tree surrounding this area, this is where you have the best chance to try and spot one of these gorgeous birds. A repeated siting of a Crested Caracara has also been noted in the town of Munising.
It is difficult to see Crested Caracaras year-round in Michigan, if you are planning to go bird watching the summer months are better for your to do so.
In Michigan they have been spotted mostly in June and July which are both in the centre of this bird’s mating season so they are likely to be more active and more territorial.
We had either an American Kestrel or a Merlin land in our backyard in Roseville, MI yesterday morning. It was about 4 or 5 inches tall and it sat on the ground long enough for me to take several photographs. It stayed in our yard for at least 2 hours.