Crested Caracara Lift-off

[Bill Dix]

From Laguna Seca Ranch, several weeks ago. Full-height cropped from horizontal.

D500, Sigma 150-600 @ 230mm, ISO 2000, 1/2500s @ f/8 manual.

[Glenn Pure]

Amazing looking bird, Bill and well captured in this image. I'm surprised by the low perch but perhaps it's typical for this species? Either way, it's given you a great POV and looks like you were amazingly close too. The light looks like it was very kind too and you've been able to achieve great detail from the blacks right through to the whites in this image. I'm not a fan of the composition - this would work better for me with some off the bottom of the frame, or even and landscape format depending on what the background was like off to the left. Great shot of a great bird all the same.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Beautiful bird, very interesting perch, nice take-off pose. Compared to the Crested Caracaras I see here, in Florida, this bird is darker. Here they are a dark brown, most likely because the sun has bleached the feathers. Nice image, thank you for sharing, Bill.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Excellent launch capture, Bill. Great light we had after the morning rain. Beautiful rich colors, and nice feather detail.

Geoffrey




https://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (https://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[Juan Tolentino]

Nice capture Bill. Agree with Joe that this is a darker Caracara than the ones we see here in Florida. I agree with Glenn on the composition since IMO the bird has no room to fly into. Thank you for sharing.


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[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. I actually liked the comp, but there is certainly merit to the argument that he needs some flying room. I liked the stump and the cactus, and didn't want a squarish crop. I'll look at a landscape version. As to the color of the bird, we saw a lot of Caracaras at this location. The full adult plumage is dark, almost black and white, with a dark orange facial skin as in this bird. Others, the 1-year olds and juvies, were more brown with facial skin ranging from pinkish to bluish. Apparently that facial skin quickly change in response to the bird's emotional state.

[Raybel Robles]

I really like the pose here. I don't mind the comp. here, I think either one will work if you do a landscape version of it. Great image.