Secretary Bird

Scientific name: Sagittarius serpentarius
Family name: Sagittariidae

Are they endangered? No, they are not endangered worldwide. [IUCN Red list: Least concern.]   They are protected by law in Africa.   

What are their past/present problems?  Kites and crows are the enemies of young Secretary birds.  They also have problems with habitat loss by cutting down forest areas where they build their nests. 

What do they look like?  They have black feathers that stick out of the back of their heads and look like a fan.  Their bodies are gray with black tails.  They have feathers half way down their very long legs.  They have a gray beak and orange feathers around their dark eyes.

How big are they?  They are about 4 feet in height and if they stretch out their wings, they would be about 7 feet wide.

How many eggs do they lay?  Females lay 2 light green eggs.  The eggs hatch in about 6 weeks.

How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  They build sticks on flat areas at the top of trees.  The young birds (fledglings) leave the nest in about 3 months. 
When do they hunt?  They hunt during the day.  (diurnal)
What do they eat?  These birds like to eat insects and MICE!  They also like snakes and lizards.
Where do they live?  These birds live in Africa.
What kind of place do they like to live in?  They like to live in areas that are mostly open grassland with some trees and bushes.  These are called savannahs.
Interesting facts:
They are the only birds in the family Sagittariidae.
Secretary Birds can fly but they most often walk.
They have really long legs.
They don’t use their claws to kill like other raptors do.  They stomp on their prey and then move away.  Then they will repeat that over and over until their prey is unconscious and they can eat it.  They use their beaks to carry their prey.  They hunt with another Secretary Bird.
Most raptors take pieces of food to their young.  Secretary Birds eat their food and then throw it up again for their young to eat.

Works Cited:

Lloyd, Glenys.  Birds of prey.  NY:  Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.

“Sagittarius Serpentarius.”   Encyclopedia of Animals.  2006.

“Secretarybird.”  4 Oct. 2007.  <http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/secrbird/secrbird.html>.