The Creature Feature: 10 Fun Facts About the Secretary Bird
Secretary bird. Adamantios, via Wikimedia Commons.
Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis was researching bird species to feature in his 2024 animated movie Flow when he learned about the secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius). Zilbalodis knew his bird character would need to be large enough to carry a cat, as well as be “majestic and imposing and [have]…a presence.”
Secretary birds fit the bill. With their leggy strides and long, eyelash-like feathers, they are the supermodels of the bird world. Native to savannahs and grasslands in sub-Saharan Africa, secretary birds are the one and only members of their family (Sagittariidae). Zilbalodis leveraged their unique charisma to touching effect in Flow, but these birds are more than just pretty faces.
1. Their English name is a bit of a mystery. It’s not known for sure where the name “secretary bird” originated. One explanation is that the name comes from their resemblance to 19th century lawyer’s clerks, or secretaries. These men wore gray coats and dark knee-length pants, and they often tucked quill pens behind their ears.
2. Secretary birds are the tallest raptors in the world. They stand 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) tall and have wingspans around 7 feet (2.1 meters).
Jerry Thompson, via Wikimedia Commons.
3. Secretary birds possess the longest legs of any bird of prey. The tops of their legs are covered in black feathers, while their lower legs are protected by tough scales — making it look like they are wearing bicycle shorts. Their legs are so long that they must bend them in a crouch to eat or drink.
4. They hunt exclusively on the ground. Unlike most birds of prey, secretary birds walk along the ground when searching for a meal, either alone or with a mate. They will eat almost anything they can catch, including small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and various invertebrates.
5. They are renowned for their snake-hunting abilities. The secretary bird’s scientific name, Sagittarius serpentarius, means “the archer of snakes.” Their scale-covered lower legs protect them from snakebites.
6. Secretary birds pack a powerful kick. They often capture prey by stomping on it with their large feet and sharp claws until it is killed or incapacitated. Researchers measured the speed and force of kicking strikes from Madeleine, a 24-year-old secretary bird who was trained to aggressively kick at a rubber snake for public exhibition displays. They found that his (yes, Madeleine is a male bird) kicking strikes were forceful, averaging about 5 body weights, and exceptionally rapid, lasting only 15 ms duration in contact.
Sumeet Moghe, via Wikimedia Commons.
7. They prefer walking over flying. Pairs of secretary birds defend territories that can be 20 square miles (50 square kilometers) in size. They spend their days wandering their territories and searching for food, sometimes covering more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) in a day.
8. Secretary birds are monogamous and thought to pair for life. Courtship displays take place both in the air (where the pair soar in wide circles and perform swoops and downward plunges, sometimes with talons clasped) and on the ground (where they dance with outstretched wings). The male and female secretary bird work together to build a large platform nest, which can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) across.
Lip Kee Yap, via Wikimedia Commons.
9. They are devoted parents. Both parents help incubate the eggs and then care for the chicks, including feeding them regurgitated prey. Secretary bird chicks fledge after about three months in the nest, though they remain around the nest tree for another few months. During this time, they forage for food alongside their parents and learn how to hunt, kick, and fly.
10. Secretary birds tend to be quiet. However, they do make deep, croaking wails and roaring groans during courtship. Mates also communicate with one another through soft clucks and whistles.
References and Further Reading:
National Geographic: Secretary Birds.
The Peregrine Fund: Secretarybird.
Portugal SJ, Murn CP, Sparkes EL, Daley MA. The fast and forceful kicking strike of the secretary bird. Curr Biol. 2016 Jan 25;26(2):R58-R59. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.004.
San Diego Zoo: Secretary Bird.
Sherman, P. 2007. "Sagittarius serpentarius,” Animal Diversity Web.
Tippett, R. 2024. Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius). Biodiversity and Development Institute.