These are the only birds of prey that do most of their hunting on foot. Their diet consists mainly of snakes, but they also eat small mammals, birds, insects and eggs. Secretary birds hunt in pairs or in small groups and kill snakes by stomping on them or flailing them about, sometimes even dropping them from great heights. Secretary birds can grow up to 4 feet in length and can have 7-foot wingspans. They are named after the twenty black crest feathers that adorn the top of their heads and which look like the quill pens that secretaries used to carry.
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Range: Grassy country in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Characteristics: Rounded wings, very long legs and crest feathers atop their head that look like quill pens.