BACK COUNTRY BY ROBERT ADAMS
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ROBERT ADAMS
crested caracara sits on an oak tree limb covered with resurrection ferns in a
hammock of wild orange trees and palms. A beautiful bird with a reddish face,
turquoise beak and hawk-like body, the caracara is considered an eagle in Mexico,
where it is the national bird. Caracaras are found in southern parts of the United
States, Central and South America. Mostly a scavenger, the caracara also eats
insects, small snakes and young birds in nests. Its keen sense of smell can lead it to
a dead squirrel, and it is often seen feeding on the side of highways with buzzards. A