EAI was recently contracted to perform site surveys for crested caracara activity. The crested caracara is a resident, non-migratory falcon species that occurs natively in Florida as well as the southwestern United States and Central America. Florida’s population of caracara is found in the prairie area of the south-central region of the State, from Polk and Osceola Counties southward to Collier and Broward Counties. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Audubon’s crested caracara as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1987. Within the state of Florida, it is listed as threatened by the state in accordance with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Surveys are typically performed at sunrise from January through April during nesting season. The surveys are to determine locations of active nests that could be impacted by construction activities, determine if the construction area is being used by breeding or non-breeding caracaras, and to determine the fate of any nests documented in the area. For more information about crested caracaras and other Florida native birds be sure to check out https://fl.audobon.org and for other EAI work check out https://www.ecological-associates.com/project-highlights/