Secretary Bird Skull

BC-254 $172.00

In a family of its own, the secretary bird may get its name from its resemblance to 19th century bank secretaries with its quill-like feathers extending behind its head, its gray tail-coat feathers and its black feathered knee-britches. Another possible source of its name, but far less interesting, is that "secretary" is a corruption of the Arabic word for 'hunter-bird.' With exceptionally long stork-like legs, it stands four feet tall. Although at home both on the ground or in the air, it may walk 20 miles a day looking for its prey of insects, lizards, small mammals and snakes (from which it gets its species name). It takes up small prey with its beak, but uses its long legs to stomp on larger prey (famously, poisonous snakes) focusing with great precision the strikes of its hard rear talons. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the raptor mates for life. 1-part skull (jaw glued to cranium).