a bird perched on top of a dead tree

Crested Caracara sits atop a dead tree near Florida's Gulf Coast. The Crested Caracara is a Falcon, that looks like a hawk, but behaves most like a vulture (oh my)! This bird of the open-country generally flies low with flat wings, and will walk along the ground frequently. They commonly perch on the tallest structure in an area - as seen here!