# Urban Green Spaces Set the Stage for Rare Interspecific Allopreening Between Crested Caracara ( Caracara plancus ) and Black Vultures ( Coragyps atratus )

## TL;DR

Researchers observed rare bird preening between Crested Caracaras and Black Vultures in an urban park in Texas, the first such event recorded in a city setting.

## Contribution

This is the first documented case of interspecific allopreening between these two bird species in an urban green space.

## Key findings

- Interspecific allopreening was observed between Crested Caracaras and Black Vultures in San Antonio.
- This behavior was documented in an urban green space, expanding the known ecological and geographic scope of such interactions.
- The event highlights the role of urban green infrastructure in facilitating unusual avian social behaviors.

## Abstract

Urban green spaces and wildlife corridors provide unique opportunities to observe how animals adapt and interact in human‐dominated landscapes. In San Antonio, Texas, both adjacent to and within the Phil Hardberger Park and the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, the largest wildlife bridge in the United States at the time of its construction, we documented a rare case of interspecific allopreening. On May 15, 2022, two Crested Caracaras (
Caracara plancus
) engaged in mutual head and neck allopreening, followed by two Black Vultures (
Coragyps atratus
) initiating preening of the Crested Caracara. Subsequent behaviors consisted of perching, self‐preening, and wing‐spreading by vultures, with no additional allopreening observed. The same behavior was also observed on February 4, 2023 within Phil Hardberger Park. While allopreening is well documented within species for social and hygienic purposes, interspecific allopreening is rare and has only been reported a few times globally and only in rural settings. Our observation is the first record of its kind in an urban green space and expands the ecological and geographic scope of such behavior, demonstrating that urban green infrastructure may act as a stage for uncommon avian social interactions. This record contributes to the growing body of urban wildlife research and highlights the value of systematic observation in cities for revealing overlooked aspects of avian behaviors.

Observations in San Antonio, Texas documented rare interspecific allopreening between crested caracaras and black vultures at Phil Hardberger Park. This represents the first recorded instance of such behavior in an urban green space, expanding the known ecological and geographic scope of interspecies social interactions. The finding underscores the value of urban wildlife corridors for revealing overlooked avian behaviors and contributing to urban ecology research.