secretary bird

noun

1. a large, long-legged, raptorial bird, Sagittarius serpentarius, of Africa, that feeds on reptiles.

secretary bird

noun

1. a large African long-legged diurnal bird of prey, Sagittarius serpentarius, having a crest and tail of long feathers and feeding chiefly on snakes: family Sagittariidae, order Falconiformes (hawks, falcons, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary bird¹

1790–1800; < French secrétaire, perhaps by folk etymology < Sudanese Arabic ṣagr al-ṭēr, equivalent to ṣagr hawk + al the + ṭēr birds (collective)

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary bird¹

C18: so called because its crest resembles a group of quill pens stuck behind the ear

Example Sentences

In the bird kingdom, the Andean condor, secretary bird, bateleur and martial eagle are now at high risk of extinction.

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Unlike most birds of prey that swoop down from the air to make a kill, the secretary bird hunts its quarry mostly on foot.

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UK researchers have completed a mechanical study of the strike of the secretary bird - a large species that lives in sub-Saharan Africa and kicks its prey to death with remarkable agility.

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When the lanky leg of a secretary bird kicks a snake in the head, the killer blow can transfer five times the bird's own weight in a hundredth of a second.

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Picture a sea of chest-high elephant grass, swirling brown rivers, ribbons of papyrus and the occasional black-and-white secretary bird swooping elegantly through rose-colored skies.

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