Secretarybird: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Hawks and Falcons · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Picture an eagle's head and body perched on a crane's long legs. The secretarybird stands about 1.3 m tall and spends most of its time on the ground.
2. Its long head feathers may explain its name: they recall the quill pens that clerks once tucked behind their ears.
3. Unlike most birds of prey, it hunts on foot. Pairs, or small family groups, stalk through the grass with long strides.
4. Its kick is lightning fast. In a test with a rubber snake, one bird struck with five times its own weight in just 10 to 15 thousandths of a second.
5. The Maasai people call it one arrow, a name that points to the long, loose feathers of its crest.

The quiz

1. How tall does a secretarybird stand?

• About 30 cm
• About 1.3 m (correct)
• About 3 m
• About 60 cm

Its long legs lift it to a height of about 1.3 m.

2. According to one old idea, why is it called the secretarybird?

• It carries letters
• Its head feathers look like quill pens (correct)
• It sits on office roofs
• It makes a typing sound

Buffon suggested its long feathers recall a quill pen behind a scribe's ear.

3. How does the secretarybird mostly hunt?

• Diving into lakes
• Hanging from branches
• On foot, walking through grass (correct)
• At night from the sky

It is largely terrestrial and hunts its prey on foot.

4. How strong was a secretarybird's kick in a test?

• Half its body weight
• Equal to its body weight
• A hundred times its weight
• Five times its body weight (correct)

In the test, its kick hit with five times the bird's own weight.

5. What do the Maasai call the secretarybird?

• One arrow (correct)
• Grass walker
• Snake king
• Tall chief

They call it one arrow, after its crest feathers.

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