Crested Caracara
Crested CaracaraCrested CaracaraCrested CaracaraCrested Caracara

Crested Caracara

Caracara plancus

10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Rincón de la Vieja National Park
102 Verified records at Rincón de la Vieja National Park
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The crested caracara (Caracara plancus) is a bird of prey (raptor) in the falcon family, Falconidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Polyborus before being given in its own genus, Caracara. It is native to and found in the southern and southeastern United States, Mexico (where it is present in every state) and the majority of mainland Latin America, as well as some Caribbean islands. The crested caracara is quite adaptable and hardy, for a species found predominantly in the neotropics; it can be found in a range of environments and ecosystems, including semi-arid and desert climates, maritime or coastal areas, subtropical and tropical forests, temperate regions, plains, swamps, and even in urban areas. Documented, albeit rare, sightings have occurred as far north as Minnesota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island. The southern extent of the crested caracara's distribution can reach as far as Tierra del Fuego and Magallanes Region, Chile. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Caracara sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 102 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Rincón de la Vieja National Park

Laughing Falcon
LC

Laughing Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Herpetotheres cachinnans

5–10% · Rare
Collared Forest Falcon
LC

Collared Forest Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micrastur semitorquatus

<5% · Rare
Bat Falcon
LC

Bat Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco rufigularis

<5% · Rare
Peregrine Falcon
LC

Peregrine Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco peregrinus

Insufficient data
American Kestrel
LC Endemic

American Kestrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco sparverius

Insufficient data
Merlin
LC

Merlin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco columbarius

Insufficient data
Barred Forest Falcon
LC

Barred Forest Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micrastur ruficollis

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
20–30
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
<5
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
70–80%
2 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
70–80%
3 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
60–70%
4 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
60–70%
5 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
50–60%
6 Torres del Paine National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
50–60%
7 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
8 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
50–60%
9 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
10 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
40–50%
11 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
40–50%
12 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
30–40%
13 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
30–40%
14 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
30–40%
15 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
30–40%
16 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
17 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
20–30%
18 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
20–30%
19 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
20 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
21 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%
22 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
23 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
20–30%
24 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
25 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
26 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
27 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
10–20%
28 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
10–20%
29 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
30 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
10–20%
31 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
32 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
33 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
10–20%
34 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
35 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
36 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
37 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
38 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
39 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
10–20%
40 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
41 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
42 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
10–20%
43 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
5–10%
44 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
45 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
46 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
47 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
5–10%
48 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
49 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
50 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
51 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
5–10%
52 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
5–10%
53 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
5–10%
54 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
55 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
5–10%
56 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
5–10%
57 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
58 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
59 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
5–10%
60 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
5–10%
61 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
5–10%
62 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
63 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
64 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
65 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
66 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
67 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
68 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
69 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
70 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
71 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
72 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
73 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
74 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
75 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
76 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
77 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
78 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
79 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
80 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
81 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
82 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
83 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
84 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
85 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
86 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
87 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
88 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
89 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
90 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Crested Caracara in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Caracara sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 102 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Crested Caracara in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Crested Caracara in Rincón de la Vieja National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Rincón de la Vieja National Park