The Secretarybird

Today's Animal of the Day is the Secretarybird. It is a large bird of prey, or raptor, found in sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike other raptors, the Secretarybird mostly stays on the ground and is also quite large, standing ~4 feet tall and weighing ~10 lbs. Snakes comprise a large part of the Secretarybird's diet, since it has a keen ability to kill them with its talons. In fact, its scientific name is Saggitarius serpentarius, meaning Archer of Snakes. Pretty badass.

[video of the Secretarybird's strut]

No one is sure why the Secretarybird is named as it is. Some say it's adapted from 'saqr-et-tair,' an old Arabic word meaning 'hunter bird.' Others say it's because the bird's head plumage makes it look like old English secretaries who kept quills behind their ears. Or maybe it was just some lonely scientist who saw the bird and imagined a secretary with long legs and a short black skirt.

Some lonely scientist named Wilson.

Oh god ;_;