SECRETARYBIRD
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Sagittarius serpentarius
IUCN RED LIST (Global status): Endangered
RED DATA BOOK OF BIRDS (Regional status): Vulnerable
POPULATION
It’s estimated that fewer than 10,000 Secretarybirds remain today.
KNOW YOUR SECRETARYBIRD
Secretarybirds can stand up to 1.2m tall. They are grey, whitish and black. They have long bare legs, an orange face, and distinctive long tail feathers.
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
Secretarybirds occur across sub-Saharan Africa.
WHAT HABITAT DO SECRETARYBIRDS LIKE?
Secretarybirds are usually found on grasslands, as well as agricultural areas.
THREATS
Poor management of land could be seriously threatening Secretarybirds, with intensive grazing and burning affecting the amount of food available to them. Severe droughts are a big threat, as well as human activities (like capturing them for trade and poisoning).
ACTION TO SAVE OUR SECRETARYBIRDS
For the Overberg Crane Group, it helps to know where the Secretarybirds are in the Overberg. So we monitor numbers, and raise awareness of them where we can. We also tackle habitat loss and encourage good land management.
THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES/RED DATA BOOK OF BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA:
| Not Evaluated | Data Deficient | Least Concern | Near Threatened | Vulnerable | Endangered | Critically endangered | Extinct in the wild | Extinct |
DEAD OR INJURED BIRDS
Blue Cranes and other birds are often found dead or injured in the Overberg. Please report dead or injured birds to our OCG Extension Officer, Keir Lynch by email to support@bluecrane.org.za or phone 084 369 0969.
REPORT RINGED BIRDS
Hundreds of Blue Cranes have had rings placed on their legs over the years. We use these rings to identify Blue Cranes. With this information, we can learn more about them. If you see a Blue Crane with rings on its legs, please let us know.
SUPPORT
The Overberg Crane Group is the only organisation dedicated to protecting our Overberg's birds, like Blue Cranes and Cape Vultures. We need your help to protect our threatened bird species from possible future extinction.
BIRDLASSER APP
There’s a convenient way for bird lovers to note the birds they see – using the BirdLasser app. You can download the BirdLasser app to your cellphone. It’s also a great tool for bird lovers to keep accurate records of their sightings
