DESCRIPTION, DISTRIBUTION, HABITS 



subterminal portion black and terminal white. Below paler 

 than back, the throat and lower cheeks with white shaft marks. 

 Sides of abdomen black. Centre of abdomen and under tail 

 coverts white. Iris ha/.el. Upper mandible bluish-white. 

 Lower mandible dirty yellow with white tip. Cere greenish- 

 yellow. Naked skin round eye orange. Legs and toes flesh 

 coloured. Claws black. 



Lengthy 56.0 ; wing, 27.0 ; tail, 24.0. 

 The female is slightly larger and darker than the male. 

 The nestlings are covered with white down. The young 

 bird is duller in plumage than the adult. Iris grey. 



Distribution. — The secretary bird is found over most of 

 the drier parts of Africa, from Gambia in the west and Thebes 

 in the east. It does not occur, however, in the forest regions. 

 In South Africa it is fairly abundant in the higher and drier 

 parts. More plentiful in the north-western parts of the Cape 

 and Eastern Province. 



Habits. — Secretary birds are invariably seen about in pairs. 

 They spend most of the day stalking in a dignified manner 

 over the veld in search of food, which consists of locusts, large 

 caterpillars, snails, small tortoises, and snakes. They also eat 

 nestling birds and animals when the chance offers. When dis- 

 turbed they seldom fly, but make off at a swift run, and will 

 only rise if very hard pressed. The secretary bird is one of the 

 few birds which attack and eat snakes. It attacks the snakes 

 with its wings spread out as a shield, and stamps the snake 

 with its powerful feet. It has also been known to fly 

 high up in the air with a snake and then let it drop in order 

 to kill it. Each pair of birds has its own fixed area of hunting 

 ground, and will drive off intruders. During the breeding season 

 the males become very pugnacious. The nest, which is a very 

 bulky structure, is built of sticks and sods, and lined with feathers 

 and dry grass. It is usually placed in the middle of some thick 

 bush or tree. The nest is added to each year until it assumes 

 huge proportions. The eggs, 2 to 3 in number, are laid 

 usually in August. They are bluish-white in colour, some- 

 times smeared with brown, and are somewhat pointed at one 



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