The secretarybird or secretary bird is a large bird of prey that is endemic to Africa. It is mostly terrestrial, spending most of its time on the ground, and is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. A member of the order Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, kites, vultures, and harriers, it is placed in its own family, the Sagittariidae.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Typical Environment
Found across open grasslands, savannas, and lightly scrubbed plains from the Sahel to southern Africa. They avoid dense forests and rugged mountains but use edges of bushland, burned grasslands, and farmland where prey is visible. Nests are typically placed atop isolated, flat-crowned trees for a clear view of surrounding territory. They require extensive, open landscapes to forage effectively, often covering many kilometers on foot each day.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Secretarybirds are unusual raptors that hunt primarily on foot, using powerful, precise stomps to subdue prey, including venomous snakes. Their long black head plumes resemble quill pens once carried behind the ear, inspiring the common name. Scaly, elongated legs help protect them from bites and deliver forceful kicks. They build large stick nests high in flat-topped trees like acacias.
Plate from John Frederick Miller's Icones animalium et plantarum, published 1779, with the original binomial name
The secretarybird has distinctive black feathers protruding from behind its head.
A pair atop a tree
Captive secretarybird with two eggs in its nest
Illustration of chick, from Faune de la Sénégambie (1883), by Alphonse Trémeau de Rochebrune
Juvenile with lizard kill at Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia
Secretarybird skeleton: The feet are used for killing prey.
Secretarybird depicted as the Emblem of Sudan
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
strong flier and soaring glider, but mostly terrestrial
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or as bonded pairs that maintain large territories. Pairs build large stick nests high in acacias or other flat-topped trees and raise 1–3 chicks. Both sexes incubate and provision the young; nesting territories are defended vigorously. Courtship includes mutual displays and sky-dancing flights.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Usually quiet, but gives deep hoots, croaks, and clucking calls, especially at the nest or during displays. Alarm calls are harsher and more rapid. Vocalizations carry over open country but are used sparingly.
