The Elegant Secretary Bird
The Elegant Secretary Bird: Research indicates that this unique raptor, known as “the secretary bird”, gets its name from the Europeans of the early 19th century, who spanned 1800–1900, a time of profound global change. Those in this era, particularly the male secretaries, wore grey tailcoats, knee-length suit-like slacks, and quill pens for taking notes or making dictations. Secretaries most times placed their quill pens at the back of their ears to be reused. The long grey wings and tail feathers of this lovely secretary bird are very black, as are the feathers at the back of the head.
Equally, this beautiful raptor has black feathers that move halfway down its long legs and appears to be putting on a tailcoat suit and knee-length pants. This species is native to the savannah grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa and is often referred to as “the archer of snakes”—primarily preys on snakes. It shares a close relationship with raptors such as buzzards, kites, and vultures. The secretary birds are quite good flyers, but they spend most of their time on land, walking around looking for prey and food. They build their nests mostly in trees related to acacia, where they lay their eggs after the breeding season.
Life Expectancy of the Secretary Bird
Compared to bird species that live in more protected settings, including zoos and sanctuaries, secretary birds in the wild often survive anywhere from 10 to 15 years. The harsh weather in the wilderness, including intense storms that can cause serious disease and protracted dry spells that result in a shortage of food, is the cause of famine and ultimately leads to death.
Breeding Season
Following the breeding season of the elegant secretary bird, these bird species are monogamous, meaning they typically mate with one partner for the whole of their lives. During their food search, they cover a larger surface commonly known as territorial control, occupying an area of more than 20 square miles. For protection measures, they always construct their nests high up in thorny acacia-related trees. Their breeding season begins in March and lasts until August, but they can mate all year long, mostly on land and occasionally in trees. They always utilise a tapestry of sticks, roughly three to five feet wide and fifteen to twenty inches deep, to form the pattern of their nests. The smooth grass is laid and lined to support the eggs during laying and hatching in the hollow that is created in the centre.
Their clutch is about 1 to 3 eggs, and a pair is responsible for the 6-to-7-week incubation period. With both sharing equal onus for nurturing chicks after hatching, including feeding them and keeping them safe from predators. One of the bird species stays behind at the nest while they hunt for food, protecting for almost three weeks against predators, including vultures, owls, hornbills, and hungry crows that might prey on the chicks. However, if the climate is favourable and food is abundant, chicks will always survive; if the weather is harsh and dry, they may starve to death.
Characteristics of the Secretary Bird
Its plumage is characterised by pale blue-grey and white underparts, a long tail, and a red-orange featherless face. Black flying feathers and a variety of dark quills cover the underparts, reaching down to the thighs and knee joints. When hunting its prey, this raptor has the best vision of all the birds of prey because it has the longest legs and is strong enough to stay above the plants. When on land, its strong scales protect two-thirds of its legs from snake attacks.
Sagittarius serpentarius is the scientific name for this snake hunter, meaning “the archer of snakes”. Before capturing a snake, these birds use their strong legs to kick the snake’s head to death. Their lethal kicks are twice as fast as they are heavy, striking their target in 0.015 seconds. The kick is almost 90 times faster than a snake’s bite speed, making this raptor the obvious winner.
Diet
Following the elegant secretary bird species, these birds consistently move out early in the morning to search for food; however, during hot hours, they look out for the shade under trees, and after the temperatures normalise, they resume their food search. They frequently utilise their wings as a target for venom when hunting, especially to deflect snakes, before stomping them to death. They head back to their nests for the night when the day comes to an end, just before sunset.
Conservation Status.
In many civilisations, particularly in Africa, this species of bird represents resiliency and protection. The bird’s taxonomic name, “the archer of snakes”, is based on its deadly methods of capturing and hunting snakes. Therefore, this top highlight should not be missed by birdwatchers planning for birding safaris in Uganda. Its main danger, though, is habitat loss brought on by human activities like farming, habitation, and building, among others. Furthermore, this species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), indicating that additional conservation efforts are required to protect its habitats.
