Secretary

Secretary

The Alexander Koenig Society posthumously awards Dr Uwe Schäkel the sponsorship of the secretary bird for his tireless efforts for the benefit of the Museum Koenig.

With a body length of around 130 cm, the secretary bird(Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large representative of the order of birds of prey. It is also the only species in its family Sagittariidae. With the exception of the Congo Basin, it is found throughout Africa, south of the Sahara.

The external appearance of the secretary bird is unmistakable. It has an eagle-like body structure and a small head, with an orange-coloured featherless area around the eye. On its head and neck, the secretary bird also has the characteristic feather crest that gives it its name. It is said to be reminiscent of the quills that secretaries used to tuck behind their ears. For a bird of prey, it also has a relatively long neck and extremely long legs, which give it the appearance of a crane from a distance. The plumage is predominantly grey in colour. Only the wings and leg plumage, the so-called "trousers", are black.
The preferred habitat of the secretary bird is savannah and grasslands with a maximum grass height of 1 m, which does not obstruct its vision. However, it also occasionally colonises drier semi-deserts and open woodlands. It feeds mainly on large arthropods such as beetles, grasshoppers, scorpions and spiders as well as small vertebrates. These include mice, hares, mongooses, lizards, amphibians and small birds. It is also able to successfully hunt very venomous snakes such as cobras. When hunting, the secretary snake searches for prey exclusively on the ground. It uses its long, strong legs to flush them out and then kill them with quick, targeted kicks. This is necessary because, unlike other birds of prey, it is unable to grasp its prey with its feet due to its terrestrial lifestyle.
The breeding season of the secretary bird correlates strongly with the rainy season in Africa, as this is when most food is available. The nest is built by both parents in an acacia or other tree and can reach a considerable size of up to 2.5 metres in diameter. The clutch consists of 1-4 dark speckled grey eggs, which are incubated by both parents for around 45 days. The young then need another 75 to 90 days to fledge.
Although the secretary bird has a very large distribution area, its population is now categorised as endangered. The main threats are considered to be the destruction or agricultural utilisation of its habitat, hunting and illegal trade in the animals. The secretary bird is also very sensitive to human disturbance, which greatly reduces its breeding success. Its numbers are therefore estimated at only a few tens of thousands in the wild.