Cardinal In Red Leaves

Crested Caracara

I spotted this Crested Caracara, also known as a Mexican Eagle, in a field in Royse City. The Crested Caracara is a tropical relative of the falcon. It favors deserts and grasslands in Texas. The Dallas area is at the northern end of it's range. Sightings of this bird in Texas are rare, according to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.

 

Cardinal

This female Northern Cardinal repeatedly attacked my kitchen window.