The crested caracaras, also called the Mexican eagle, is the national bird of Mexico.
Mature caracara are blackish brown overall.
Immature birds are edged and spotted buff color above and streaked below. In flight, caracara show white patches at the ends of their rounded wings. A member of the falcon family, caracaras' range extends south through Mexico including Baja to the northern part of South America. Their most northerly range reaches southern Arizona, Texas and Florida, although they are rare here. Caracara reside in open or partly open country including desert, brush lands and prairies.