09 Dec Secretarybird
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The tall secretarybird is one of the most enigmatic birds of Africa and the only predominantly terrestrial bird of prey in world.
They only occur in Africa and are usually seen in pairs, striding through the veld looking for prey. This characteristic resulted in people in times gone past sometimes referring to the bird as the “marching eagle” although they are not related to eagles at all.
The birds walk long distances in search of prey which includes a wide range of insects – particularly grasshoppers, rodents, scorpions, lizards and sometimes snakes. Although it was commonly believed that snakes were their primary prey this is not the case and they will generally eat anything they can catch.
Smaller prey is usually caught in the bill and swallowed whole but larger creatures, such as snakes, are killed by the simple, but effective, method of kicking and stamping them to death. When doing so the bird opens it wings and appears to be “dancing”.
They are large birds, often reaching 1.3-1.4 metres in height, weigh up to five kilogrammes and have wingspans reaching over two metres. Although they spend most of the time on the ground they are quite capable of flight and sometimes seen soaring to considerable heights.
They utilise a wide range of habitat but prefer relative open savannah and grasslands.
Secretarybirds construct large nests made up of sticks on top of thorn trees. The nest is usually about 1.5 metres in diameter but if they are used for several years in a row can reach well over two metres. They lay 1 to 3 eggs but in the latter case the youngest chick seldom survives due to a lack of food.
They usually roost in thorn trees at night.
Ornithologists have for decades debated the origin of the bird’s common name.
Oberprieler and Cellie state in their Raptor Identification Guide for Southern Africa (2002) that
The name “Secretary bird” may refer to the crest’s resemblance to old time quill pens which a secretary often stuck behind is ear.
They add though “on the other hand it might also be derived from the Arabic saqr et-tair, a ‘hunter bird”. Sagittarius is Latin for “bowman” or “archer” (Referring to its upright carriage) while serpantus means interested in snakes”.
In an article published in The African Journal of Ornithology in 2018 researcher Ian Glenn argues that the former is correct.
The origin of the name is of course not too important if are a snake or a lizard about to be kicked to death and eaten by the “marching eagle,” the saqr et-tair or an aggressive secretary, all that matters if that you have ended up as food.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Fast Facts:
- The “Marching Eagle”: Known as the only predominantly terrestrial bird of prey, spend most of their time striding through the veld.
- Hunting Style: While they eat many things, they are famous for killing larger prey like snakes by kicking and stamping them to death.
- Sky-High Homes: They build massive stick nests—sometimes over 2 meters wide—on the very tops of thorn trees.
- What’s in a Name?: Their name likely comes from their crest feathers resembling old-fashioned quill pens once used by secretaries.
- Physical Stature: These tall birds can reach up to 1.4 meters in height and have an impressive wingspan of over 2 meters.
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References and further reading:
Shoot the Messager? How the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius got its names (mostly wrong) Ian Glenn. Ostrich: The Journal of African Ornithology, 2018.
Raptor Identification Guide for Southern Africa – Ulrich Oberprieler and Burger Cellie (2002)
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