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 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.
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Works Cited:
Lloyd, Glenys.
Birds of prey. NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.
“Sagittarius
Serpentarius.” Encyclopedia of Animals. 2006.
