The Secretarybird or Secretary Bird is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara. Although a member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards, vultures, and harriers, it is given its own family, Sagittariidae.
Similar species: Diurnal Birds Of Prey
By Albert Kang
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Uploaded Jun 6, 2017. Captured Mar 25, 2014 20:45 in R618, South Africa.
comments (8)
I had wanted to see some Phasmids when in South Africa but was not allowed to go out for night walks due to security concern, to my disappointment. However, on my second trip, I combined South Africa and Mozambique and was able to do some night walks on my own to a small hill just behind the Resort. And I was happy to see some Phasmids, at least one of them was an undescribed species :D Posted 5 years ago
"Nature's Ninja! The Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a fearsome predator that lives on the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a large, terrestrial bird that has quill-like feathers arranged like a fancy headdress, a red face, and tough scales on their crane-like legs. Although they are good flyers, they spend most of their time prowling the savannah for prey. They keep their heads down while strutting through the grass— always on the lookout for snakes. When they find one, they flush it out, and with incredible speed, ferocity, and precision, the lanky birds kill their prey by repeatedly stomping on it to death. They deliver powerful killer blows to a snake's head with a force five times the bird's own body weight! These cranium-cracking kicks can kill a venomous snake in the blink of an eye, which is vital for the bird's survival considering their prey could turn around and pierce them with a deadly bite. {Spotted in South Africa by JungleDragon moderator, Albert Kang} #JungleDragon" Posted 4 years ago
Thanks too, Lisa and Marta :) Posted 4 years ago