Information About The Writer Or Secretary Bird, One Of The Birds Of Prey, With Pictures

The writer’s bird is a strange bird of prey, and we will see this in its physical appearance and behavior. The writer’s bird – or the secretary bird as it is also called – spends most of its days on the ground, although it is a good bird, as it nests and roosts high in acacia trees at night. Flying is also used during courtship displays, but it can cover more than 20 miles on foot on a hunting day. Here are a lot of interesting information and facts about this strange bird.

History and description of the writer’s bird

It was believed that the English name for the writer’s bird comes from the nineteenth century, when Europeans first discovered these birds. At that time, male secretaries wore a gray coat and long dark knee-length trousers. They also used goose-feather pens that they They carry them behind their ears, and this long-legged bird shares many of these characteristics. The bird has long, dark feathers at the back of the head, long gray wing and tail feathers that resemble a coat, and black feathers that come down the middle of the leg like shorts.

The secretary bird is closely related to hawks, eagles, lizards and kites, but unlike their raptor cousins, the secretary bird spends most of its time on the ground, but can it fly? Of course, it may spend its days on the ground, but the writer’s bird is a good flier and nests and roosts high in acacia trees at night, and in flight, swings its long legs behind it in the air.

Home and habitat of the scribe bird

: Its native habitat is Africa. The scribe bird is found south of the Sahara from Senegal in the east to Somalia and south to South Africa. The elegant scribe bird stands more than four feet tall and navigates through the grasses on long legs as it searches for food. The writer’s bird prefers savannahs with scattered acacia trees and short grasses, which enable it to see easily while hiking.

A few hours after dawn, the eagle bird descends to the ground from its nightly perch to begin its daily hunt. Pairs of eagle birds track what is happening in their territory, which can reach an area of ​​up to 19 square miles (50 square kilometers), and is known to cover more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) on a hunting day, the writer’s bird forages for food throughout the day, resting in the shade of a tree during the hottest part of the day, and returning to its perch just before sunset.

Scribebird food

Scribebirds and caracaras are the only land birds of prey that forage for food on foot, and adults are often seen working in large pairs, or even small family groups, stalking the grass in search of small mammals, reptiles, birds, and large insects. Known for its ability to hunt and kill snakes of all kinds, even venomous ones, the writer’s bird is intelligent enough to take advantage of recent fires, scavenging throughout the burn site for small prey that were unable to escape the fire.

The intelligent scribe bird uses two different hunting methods. It catches the prey by chasing it, then hits it with its beak or stomps on it until the prey dies or is surprised by being swallowed, usually whole. When attacking the prey, the scribe bird spreads both wings and raises the top of the feathers at the back of the head. Some signs indicate Studies indicate that dinosaur-like terror birds that roamed the Earth five million years ago may have used this same attack strategy.

A venomous snake may try to bite the feathers of the scribe bird, but the bird uses it as a distraction or a safe target, and because the bite of its hollow feathers will not hurt it at all, the scribe bird’s feet are adapted for walking and lack great grasping ability. Instead of carrying prey with its feet, it usually eats food. Immediately or take it in the beak, and at the San Diego Zoo, the writer’s bird is fed a mixture of a commercial diet made for the zoo’s carnivores and molted mice.

Reproduction of the writer’s bird:

Courtship for the writer’s bird takes place at any time of the year, depending on the amount of food available. Both males and females fly in wide circles and perform swooping and landing operations, and sometimes they clasp their claws in the air. The monogamous pair works together to build a large nest up to 8 meters wide. feet (2.4 m), the nest is constructed of twigs, sticks, mammalian fur, dung, leaves, and grasses. The busy couple works and visits the nest for up to six months, and pairs often use the same nest for many years.

One to three pale green eggs are laid every two to three days. The female scribe performs most of the incubation duties. The eggs hatch in the order in which they are laid, a few days apart. Both parents feed regurgitated and liquefied insects and other small prey directly to the young. Unlike other birds of prey, parents often raise more than one chick successfully.

For the first few weeks, one parent is always at the nest, feeding and caring for the chick. Within 10 days, the writer’s bird’s distinctive bare patch becomes visible on the face but without the bright orange color. By the third week, the young have an unmistakable face, and crest feathers begin to appear. In appearance, long eyelashes become visible.

At first, the parents tear off small pieces of meat for the chicks to eat. At about 40 days old, the chicks learn to eat small mammals and reptile parts that the parents drop directly into the nest. By six weeks, the chicks look like miniature, fully feathered versions of the adult bird. They train their wings at about 9 weeks, and are ready to fly at 12 weeks of age. A lunge for the writer’s bird usually means a fairly controlled fall from the nest with a lot of wing flapping until the young one hits the ground. The parents then teach their children how to hunt, kick and fly, and the young ones roam around. On their own soon after.

Is the writer's bird in danger of extinction
Is the writer’s bird in danger of extinction

The behavior of the scribe bird:

The scribe bird is usually calm, and the scribe bird makes a sound if necessary. It can emit a deep, low squeak or moan during the courtship flight, or during battles, or to defend a land or a nest, as crows and kites often attack the scribe bird’s nests. Easy targets in nests high in trees. A single, loud chirping is issued when the bird is disturbed. Soft clucks and whistles are used between pairs. To beg for food, the chicks use a soft, shrill call that changes to a loud squeak as they get older.

Is the writer’s bird in danger of extinction?

We still have a lot to learn about these magnificent birds and how they raise their young. At this time, the writer’s bird is common throughout much of its range and protected in many African countries. However, habitat loss and deforestation could affect its future. In 1968, it was The scribe bird is protected under the Africa Convention for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and its popularity among Africans may help protect the scribe bird in the future, while zoological institutions such as the San Diego Zoo do our part to raise awareness of the importance of protecting habitats, and these birds live between 10 to 15 years One year up to 19 years in zoos.

Read also: The Wonderful Benefits Of Hibiscus For Your Birds

Interesting facts about the writer’s bird

* No one knows exactly where the writer’s bird got its name, and it’s all speculation.

* The name of the scientific writer bird means snake thrower, and this is because the writer bird loves to hunt snakes, and it uses its large wings to distract the snake, while its large legs prevent snake bites.

* The writer’s bird rarely flies.

* The writer’s bird travels on foot most of the time, and only flies to reach its nests or for courtship displays.

* The wings of the scribe bird, when spread, reach about 2 metres, and it uses its wings while hunting to distract its prey and also during mating rituals.

* They are one of only two birds of prey that hunt on land, and the only other birds that hunt on land are caracaras.

* The writer’s bird has one of the strongest (and fastest) kicks in the animal kingdom. They can kick with a force of 5-6 times their body weight, and it happens quickly, too. Within 15 milliseconds, a foot can go from being still to moving.

* The writer’s bird has been seen hunting young big cats, and it has been observed using the hunting method by stomping its feet to kill young cheetahs, as well as young deer.

* Clerkbirds hunt in pairs, and sometimes familiar groups will hunt together.

* Writer’s birds mate for life, and once paired, they will stay together for life, even using the same nest year after year.

* Although they mate for life, they still perform elaborate mating displays, making pendulum flights, hopping up and down again, and on the ground dancing together.

* Clerkbird pairs will inhabit and defend territories up to 50 square kilometres, however, many can be spotted together around important resources such as water holes.

* It makes its nests on thorny trees, and this is always in an acacia tree. The nests are large, platform-like and often soft, lined with grass and dung.

* The writer’s bird lays 2-3 bluish-green eggs. These eggs are a few inches long and hatch after 45 days of incubation.

* Unfortunately, the writer’s bird is endangered, because its grassy habitat is being cleared and used for livestock.

Various questions about the writer’s bird

Q: What is the speed of the writer’s bird?
A: The writer’s bird runs at a speed of 2.5-3 km/h (1.6-1.9 mph), taking 120 steps per minute on average. After spending most of the day on the ground, the scribe returns at dusk, moving upwind before flying upwind.

Q: How tall is the writer’s bird?
A: The writer’s bird is a large-bodied bird of prey with an eagle-like head and crane-like legs. It is 0.9 to 1.2 meters long and weighs between 2.3 and 4.27 kg.

Q: Is the writer’s bird friendly to humans?
A: The writer’s bird is not dangerous, and since time immemorial, Africans have kept it as a pet to eliminate pests and snakes from their farmlands and farms.

Q: How powerful is the writer’s bird kick?
A: Madeleine the bird writer is 24 years old, weighs 4 kg, and one kick gave about 195 newtons of force. Madeleine’s foot touched the rubber snake, on average, for only 15 milliseconds (0.015 seconds). On the other hand, it takes 150 seconds to blink your eyes. ms.

Q: Is the writer’s bird immune to poison?
A: Another false myth is that the scribe bird is immune to snake venom. In fact, this is not true and it can easily succumb to the venom of many poisonous snakes in Africa. The scribe bird counters this by being very careful when killing snakes and making sure the prey dies before Eat it

Read also: Egg Retention Inside The Female Bird

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