SECRETARY BIRD ─ A Fierce Dancing Snakes Killer! Secretary Bird vs snakes

Think of a bird standing four feet tall, that has long legs like a heron, an eagle-like head, and a muscular body. Its dancing abilities are unmatched and astound with its grace and elegance. However, all snakes, including lethal ones like the cobra, are terrified of it, as it only uses its feet to attack, killing them by smashing their head. This is the infamous killer of snakes, the secretary bird. The secretary bird, Sagittarius serpentarius, is described as a large terrestrial bird of prey, habitating the African savannas and large wild open grasslands. It belongs to the order of Excipitryformes, a group reserved for diurnal birds of prey, like eagles and vultures. It got its unusual name due to the darkest, elongated features that adorn its head. John Frederick Miller described the species in 1779. He noticed in these birds their quill-like feathers give them the appearance of a secretary, with quill pens tucked behind his or her ears. However, a fairly recent hypothesis has been proposed, a French take on the Arabic sagr-e-ter, which translates to hunter-bird. This hypothesis directly aligns with the translation of the Latin name, Sagittarius meaning archer, perhaps a description of the quills, and serpentarius which highlights the bird's skill as a hunter of reptiles. This species originally inhabited the semi-arid savanna, scrub, or grasslands marked by scattered small and flat-topped trees. Its area also stretches to open areas within forested habitats, like glades. With humans progressively encroaching on their traditional hubs, they have become a bit of a common sight in areas of human development like fallow fields, airfields, and animal pastures. The lifespan of this secretary bird is between 10 to 15 years, whereas they can live up to 20 years in captivity. The secretary bird is a bird of prey that is gray in color with black accents on the wings, thighs, and central tail feathers. Morphologically, the secretary bird is set apart from other raptors, as S. serpentarius has very long legs and longer feathers. The secretary bird has a wide diet, depending on the prey it can capture. Its normal diet consists of small to medium-sized mammals like mice, hedgehogs, and hares. It also features cannibalistic properties of eating other birds and their eggs. Amphibians and various invertebrates like insects, scorpions, millipedes, and crabs are not an exception either. However, the main diet of secretary birds is snakes, including several poisonous species like puff adders and cobras, which rot them into the limelight. Other reptiles like lizards and small tortoises are occasionally included in their diet chart as well. Secretary birds also differ behaviorally from other birds, especially birds of prey like falcons, who catch their prey in mid-air and they're mainly terrestrial, walking in search of prey items. They find most of their food on the ground. If probable prey comes along, then they would stomp on it with their padded feet until it's dead or knock it down with a kick delivering 135 newtons worth of force. This characteristic stomping technique has more applications as they're known to stomp on the ground near shrubs, which are hiding grounds for probable prey, to force them out into the open where they could be more easily caught. As seen here, the big bird is seen casually sauntering amongst the long grasslands, scouting for prey. The moment that it sees a snake, it just runs towards it at full speed, attacking it relentlessly with its feet. The bird could be seen stomping its feet on what could be presumed to be the snake's body. After the first few kicks, which is probably critically impaired, its capability to move or counter, the secretary bird finishes the job with a final few kicks, then quickly picks up and gobbles the animal whole. Secretary birds are great runners as well and they're known to chase after their prey at high speeds, often coupling their running with their wings open to catch up with their meal. They're also known to break apart big dung piles with their strong feet or beaks in search of juicy insects. They're equipped with a strong bill and they're often known to catch prey with it. Swallowing their prey whole is yet another defensive feature of these birds, which is a contrast to other birds of prey. These birds tend to hunt in the proximity of their breeding partners or small family groups. However, individuals usually remain out from each other so as not to encroach on each other's territories. Secretary birds are a few of the most dedicated hunters of the aviary group and they are known to hunt throughout the day and choose to rest in the shade of a tree only during the hottest parts of the day. Unlike other members of the order Excipic Forms, secretary birds are known to spend most of their time on the ground. However, they can fly as well and they're documented as good flyers and often seen nesting and roosting high up in acacia trees at night. During their flight, their long legs can be seen trailing behind them in the air for balance. However, secretary birds tend to spend most of the day hunting for food and policing their territories, usually on foot, choosing to roost a few hours after dawn and returning at dusk. As a culmination, these birds can cover large distances of more than 20 miles a day. Despite their fearful reputation, secretary birds are not believed to be dangerous to humans. Archaeologists have found that ancient African tribes used to keep them as pets to destroy pests and snakes from agricultural pastures and farms. The secretary bird has also made its mark on the coat of arms in two African nations of South Africa and Sudan. The secretary bird has been an important aspect in the field of science, especially as its feeding skills have assisted scientists to emphasize the hunting strategies of a prehistoric tarot bird. The bird which walked on the earth three million years ago used to be a giant, blightless predator found across the world. With its height and its voracious nature, the bird is known to use its wings while chasing snakes. In the case of the small snakes, secretary bird catches prey with its bill and throws it to the ground repeatedly to make it unconscious or to kill it completely if possible. For bigger venomous snakes, the kung fu bird applies its famous foot stomping technique to kill the reptile. The big bird often uses its long legs to maintain distance from the snake to avoid getting bitten by it. Obviously, the stomps aggressively on the snake to hurt it gruesomely. It will use its wings and its tail, which by the way is 4.6 feet long, to maintain its balance. It can also use its wings to keep the venom away from its vital organs. So it might not be wrong to say that the secretary bird is perfect for killing snakes. The breeding cycle of the bird and its biological habitat lasts 5 to 6 months. The breeding time is marked by high flights above the nest area, coupled with repeated diving and sweeping upwards while releasing croaking calls. Being seasonal breeders, the preferred time is during the summer rains when there is abundant prey available. For nesting, they select trees with substantial foliage and flat canopies. Sometimes the same nests are used repeatedly, but more often new sites are selected for the next round of breeding. These nests, which harbor the future generation of these birds, are made of sticks and weeds, often thickly lined with a fence of dry grass around a 3 to 6 feet in diameter. The nesting period spans about 80 to 90 days, and each clutch is about 1 to 3 eggs. Pairs are seen alternating their incubating shifts and brooding duties, with the female usually doing the overnight job. The chicks have duller plumage and yellow facial skin, and they remain with their parents for the first few months, sleeping together in the particular nest of the treetop. The age of sexual maturity is expected to be around 3 or 4 years. In 2018, Secretary Bird was among the species uplisted on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species is newly categorized as being endangered, and is believed to be at a very high risk of extinction. This report comes after recent evidence from across its habitable range suggested that its population is on a downward spiral, owing to severe habitat degradation, disturbance, hunting, and capture for trade. Their population size is believed to be in the range of 6,700 to 67,000 currently in the wild. Thus, the Secretary Bird, in all of its glory, is one of the finest examples of the most beautiful creations of Mother Nature. The distinguishing black crest of feathers and its bare face with a red-orange hue gives it a saintly look, like a heaven-born creature out there to destroy all the satanic serpents. Tell us what you think of this unique, dangerous, dancing martial arts master, hunter, killer beast in the comment section below. And also don't forget to like this video, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more amazing beasts. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you later.