The secretarybird or secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial, bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. A member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, kites, vultures, and harriers, it is placed in its own family, Sagittariidae.
The secretarybird is instantly recognizable as a very large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird a height of as much as 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The sexes are similar in appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and predominantly grey plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and thighs.
Breeding can take place at any time of year, but tends to be late in the dry season. The nest is built at the top of a thorny tree, and a clutch of one to three eggs is laid. In years with plentiful food all three young can survive to fledging. The secretarybird hunts and catches prey on the ground, often stomping on victims to kill them. Insects and small vertebrates make up its diet.
Although the secretarybird resides over a large range, the results of localised surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid decline, probably as a result of habitat destruction. The species is therefore classed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms of Sudan and South Africa.
^BirdLife International (2020). "Sagittarius serpentarius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22696221A173647556. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22696221A173647556.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^Sharpe, Richard Bowdler (1874). Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Vol. 1. London: British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology. p. 45.
The secretarybird or secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial, bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in...
turbulence. They have particularly acute hearing and nocturnal eyesight. The secretarybird is a single species with a large body and long, stilted legs endemic...
spoonbill, Platalea alba Order: Accipitriformes Family: Sagittariidae The secretarybird is a bird of prey in the order Accipitriformes but is easily distinguished...
African wild dog (Lycaon pictus pictus). Birds of prey include the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) and...
hornbill Sumba hornbill Includes most of the diurnal birds of prey. Secretarybird Gundlach's hawk Steppe eagle Chaco eagle Malagasy harrier Réunion harrier...
Miller's plate is the holotype; these include the king penguin, the secretarybird, the crested caracara and the extinct Tahiti crake. The plates were...
families Cathartidae (New World vultures and condors), Sagittariidae (secretarybird), Pandionidae (ospreys), Accipitridae (hawks) were classified in Falconiformes...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists'...
as the skunks and the mongooses), birds (such as snake eagles, the secretarybird, and some hawks), lizards (such as the common collared lizard), and...
Accipitriformes (diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, osprey and secretarybird). However, this group might be a junior synonym (or at least a subjective...
Seiya Sagittarius, a Fairy Tail character Sagittarius serpentarius or secretarybird, a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey Sibynophis sagittarius, a...
featuring king penguins and skuas, the East African plains featuring secretarybirds and bustards, and the Australian outback featuring honeyeaters, cockatoos...
species) Cathartidae (Cathartid vultures and condors) Sagittariidae (secretarybird) Possibly includes the extinct Teratornithidae as well. For a complete...
Cathartiformes are a sister group to Accipitriformes (containing the osprey and secretarybird along with Accipitridae). There are five subspecies of turkey vulture:...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists'...
needed] More than 500 bird species can be seen such as Masai ostrich, secretarybird, kori bustards, helmeted guineafowls, Grey-breasted spurfowl, blacksmith...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists'...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists'...
terrenus. The genus name, which Feduccia and Voorhies translate as "false secretarybird," refers to the bird's superficial resemblance to the living secretary...
(2006) Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "New World vultures, Secretarybird, kites, hawks, eagles". World Bird List Version 9.1. International Ornithologists'...
Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists'...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists'...
Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists'...
migrants and residents. The park is important for species such as the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Denham's bustard (Neotis denhami) and the...
Sagittariidae is a family of raptor with one living species—the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) native to Africa—and a few fossil taxa. This...
fauna in the area also includes aardvark, eagle, Egyptian wolf, gelada, secretarybird, Nubian ibex, and marabou stork and Ethiopian endemic species such as...
living member of this order, in terms of length and height, is the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) of sub-Saharan Africa. It measures 0.9–1...
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