Secretary Bird
A bird of prey that hunts on foot, killing venomous snakes by stomping them with sudden, precise kicks
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The wacky thing
Unlike almost every other raptor, the secretary bird hunts almost entirely on foot, striding through the savanna on long crane-like legs. When it finds prey — including venomous snakes — it delivers rapid, forceful stomping kicks, striking with a force up to five times its own body weight in as little as 15 milliseconds, faster than the snake can react and strike back.
Overview
Secretary birds are large birds of prey found across sub-Saharan Africa's open grasslands and savanna. Despite standing over a meter tall on long legs, they're true raptors, closely related to hawks and eagles, and can still fly well — they just prefer to hunt by walking. Their name is thought to come from the crest of long black feathers on the back of their head, which resembled the quill pens 19th-century secretaries tucked behind their ears.
Found in
Open grasslands and savanna across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to South Africa.
Things worth knowing
- 1
High-speed camera studies have shown a single kick can be delivered with enough force to kill prey almost instantly, while the strike itself is too fast for the bird to actually see how it lands — the movement is likely a reflex.
- 2
Secretary birds have specially thickened, scaled skin on their legs that offers some protection against snake bites during a hunt.
- 3
They walk up to 30km a day while foraging, and use their wings as shields to block a striking snake while positioning for a killing kick.
- 4
Despite their hunting style, secretary birds build stick nests in the tops of flat-topped acacia trees and are capable of strong, sustained flight when needed.
- 5
The species appears on the coats of arms of both Sudan and South Africa, partly in recognition of its snake-killing reputation.