Secretarybird

A Raptor with very long legs

The Secretary Bird They stand 3-4 feet high and may weigh up to 10 lbs. This mostly territorial bird prefers grasslands and savannas of central and southern Africa. They can fly, but prefer to walk. Supposedly named by Europeans who first saw them in the 1800’s. They resembled male (human) secretaries who wore gray tailcoats, dark pants that only extended to the knees, and who often carried a goose quill pen tucked above their ear. These long-legged birds have whitish-gray breast, wing coverts, and tail feathers, black leg feathers that extend halfway down, and dark quills that protrude out from the base of their head. These birds hunt on foot. They may travel up to 20 miles a day, in their large territory, looking for food, which includes small mammals, lizards and snakes, and large insects.