Secretary Bird

Africa · bird of prey · grasslands · ground hunter

Unique bird of prey. The secretary bird is the only bird of prey in the world that hunts mostly on the ground instead of flying down to catch food. It walks through African grasslands looking for prey like snakes, lizards, and insects.

Stomping hunter. This bird uses its long, powerful legs to kick and stomp on its prey with incredible force. Those strong legs help it walk miles across the savanna each day searching for food.

Named for feathers. The secretary bird got its funny name from the long black feathers on its head that look like the quill pens that secretaries used to tuck behind their ears hundreds of years ago.

Only in Africa. Secretary birds live only in the grasslands and savannas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. They are not found wild anywhere else in the world.

Special family. This bird is so different from other birds of prey that scientists put it in its own family called Sagittariidae. It's the only member of its family in the entire world.