Secretary Bird

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 savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. Predators. Eggs and baby secretarybirds are preyed upon by crows, kites, eagle owls and ground hornbills. Adults do not have any predatory enemies. Secretary birds' diets consist of small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles. Working in small groups or with a partner, secretary birds hunt from just after dawn through to the evening, resting only during the peak heat of the afternoon. The Secretary bird has a small head with small eyes and a hooked beak. Its plumage is a light bluish/grey and it has a red colored face. Flight feathers are black and they have black feathers on the thighs and on the back of their heads. Their legs are long and powerful and are used for striking and pursuing prey . Secretarybirds prefer savannas, scrub, and grasslands with scattered small thorn trees, and open patches in forests and woodlands. It is also attracted to some man-made habitats and can be seen hunting in airfields and pasture lands.

Scientific name: Sagittarius serpentarius

Location: sub-Saharan Africa

Family: Sagittariidae

Kingdom: Animalia

Order: Accipitriformes

Phylum: Chordata