tall and slender bodied; long legs and neck (Zoo; 2012-09-19)
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Secretarybird
Sagittarius serpentarius
Native Range:
Africa
Notes:
a highly atypical bird-of-prey of open savannahs; hunts mostly on the ground by walking on its long legs in search of rodents, snakes, lizards, and other small game; when it finds a snake, it first stomps it to death before eating it; this bird may get its common name from the fact that its protruding head feathers look like the quill pens that secretaries used to put behind their ears; the species' Latin name probably comes from the fact that snakes are a favored part of its diet; forms monogamous pair-bonds; couples engage in courtship flight displays; little sexual dimorphism.
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