What Is a Secretary Bird and Why Is It Unique?

forumNo Comments

The secretary bird is a large bird of prey that is Indigenous to Africa. It is mostly terrestrial, spending most of its time on the ground, and is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region.

It is a member of the order Accipitriformes, which includes many other birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, kites, vultures, and harriers, it is placed in its own family, Sagittariidae.

They are known for their exceptional ability to hunt and prey on venomous species like snakes.

Its other prey consists of insects, and mammals ranging in size from mice to hares and mongoose, crabs, lizards, tortoises, young birds, bird eggs, and sometimes dead animals killed in grass or bushfires

Secretary Bird on the African wilderness

Appearance of the Secretary Bird

The secretary bird is easily recognizable as it is a very large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird a height of  4 ft 3. The sexes are similar in appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and predominantly grey plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and thighs. The neck is not especially long, and can only be lowered down to the intertarsal joint, so birds must stoop to reach down to the ground.

During flight, two elongated central feathers of the tail extend beyond the feet, and the neck stretches out like a stork. The plumage of the crown, upperparts, and lesser and median wing coverts is blue-grey, and the underparts and underwing coverts are lighter grey to grey-white. The crest is made up of long black feathers arising from the nape. The scapulars, primary and secondary flight feathers, rump, and thighs are black, while the upper-tail coverts are white, though barred with black in some individuals. The tail is wedge-shaped with white tipping, marbled grey, and black colouring at the base, and two broad black bands, one at the base and the other at the end.

Both sexes look alike, although the male tends to have longer tail feathers, more head plumes, a shorter head, and more blue-grey plumage. Adults have a featherless red-orange face with pale brown irises and a yellow cere. The legs and feet are pinkish-grey, and the upper legs have black feathers. The toes are shorter in length compared to those of an eagle of the same size and stout making the bird unable to grasp objects with its feet. The back toe is small and the three forward-facing toes are connected at the bottom by a small web. Immature birds have yellow rather than orange bare skin on their faces, more brownish plumage, shorter tail feathers, and greyish rather than brown irises.

up close of the secretary bird

How do they hunt?

The birds often flush prey from tall grass by stomping on the surrounding vegetation. It specializes in stomping its prey until it is killed or immobilized, this method of hunting is commonly applied to lizards or snakes. Their crest feathers may rise during a hunt, which helps scare the target and provide shade for the face.

Unlike most birds of prey, the secretarybird is largely terrestrial, hunting its prey on foot. Adults hunt in pairs and sometimes as loose familial flocks, stalking through the habitat with long strides. Its prey may consist of insects such as locusts, other grasshoppers, wasps, and beetles, but small vertebrates often form the main biomass.

Secretarybirds are known to hunt rodents, frogs, lizards, small tortoises, and birds such as warblers, larks, doves, small hornbills, and domestic chickens. They occasionally prey on larger mammals such as hedgehogs, and mongooses, small felids such as cheetah cubs, striped polecats, young gazelles, and both young and full-grown hares.

the majestic secretary bird

What does Secretary Bird Feed On?

The importance of snakes in the diet has been exaggerated in the past, although they can be locally important, and venomous species such as adders and cobras are regularly among the types of snakes preyed upon. Secretarybirds do not eat decaying flesh, though they occasionally eat dead animals killed in grass or bushfires.

Where to spot Secretary Bird

Since they are indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa they prefer savannas with scattered acacia trees and short grasses. They also inhabit farmland, semi-desert areas, and clearings in woodlands.

Secretary birds in Kenya can be at Samburu National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Masai Mara National Reserve. 

In Tanzania, they are in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. 

In South Africa, they can be found in the Kruger National Park.

FunFact

  • They have longer legs than any birds of prey.
  • They build their nests in thorny trees and dense bushes.
  • They hunt by stomping and stabbing prey with its beak.
  • They are very territorial
  • They can fly but rarely do.
  • They have very thick scales that protect them from prey while stomping.
  • They can grow up to 4 feet tall.
Next Post
Understanding the Hyena: African Wildlife & Behaviour

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.
You need to agree with the terms to proceed