These raptors of sub-Saharan Africa’s savannas, grasslands, and

shrub lands stand at nearly four feet tall—and standing is often how
you’ll find them, because they primarily move around on foot . They
fly only when necessary, such as to reach their nest in the trees and
for courtship displays.

The secretary bird is distinguished by its long legs and a dramatic

black crest of feathers on the back of its head. Its body is covered in
whitish-gray feathers, with two long, black-tipped tail feathers. Its
bare face is usually yellow, orange or red.

The top half of its long legs has black feathers, so it looks a bit like it’s
wearing bicycle shorts. The lower half is covered with scales and has
barely visible feathers.

While it’s not known for certain where the name “secretary bird”
comes from, one explanation is that they’re named after 19 th lawyer’s
clerks, or secretaries. Secretaries typically wore gray coats and knee-
length black pants, and they would tuck quill pens behind their ears,
similar to the bird’s coloring and head feather

Another theory is that “secretary bird” is an English-language

corruption of saqr et-tair—roughly meaning “hunter bird” in Arabic
—a phrase one traveler claims to have heard Arabic-speaking people
in Sudan call it. That explanation, however, has been called into
doubt by some experts.

Hunting and diet

Secretary birds and caracaras are the only two birds of prey that hunt
on the ground instead of from the air. 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. They sometimes capture prey by striking at it
with their short, hooked beaks, but more famously, secretary birds
use their large feet and sharp claws to stomp it to death.

Snakes are a favorite meal, and in fact, the bird’s scientific

name, Sagittarius serpentarius, means “the archer of snakes.” If a
snake tries striking a secretary bird, it usually ends up with a
mouthful of feathers from the bird’s almost seven-foot wingspan,
which it uses as a distraction . The scales on their lower legs provide
additional protection from snakebites.

Mating and reproduction

Secretary birds mate for life.

Mating displays take place both in the air and on the ground.
They perform aerial courtship displays , similar to other raptors,
called “pendulum flights.” The bird will swoop down, then up again,
repeating the undulating pattern over and over. Sometimes one will
dive at the other, who will roll backward in the air, presenting its
claws.