Between 2014 and 2024, we identified 5 Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) communal roosts in the vicinity of the Santa Cruz Flats, an agricultural area located between Phoenix and Tucson, in Pinal County, Arizona. Monthly counts at 2 of these roosts from December 2014 through December 2017 documented greater use of the roosts during the period of November through March (mean=39.6), compared to April through October (mean=5.1). Future work could assess whether the observed communal roosting reflects social information use (e.g., local enhancement) or enhanced resource discovery in human-modified environments, and consequently heightened vulnerability to ongoing landscape change.

Saguaros topped with whitewash.
Caracara roost marked by saguaros topped with whitewash. Photo by Doug Jenness