Secretary Bird: Goes to Fight Poisonous Snakes Knowing It Could Be the Last (12 photos)

The secretary bird hardly resembles a formidable creature. Looking at it, you feel only admiration. Graceful gait, charming look from under fluffy eyelashes, flirtatious crest, aristocratic dimensions. Tall - 1.3 meters, low weight - up to 4 kilograms, long limbs - the wingspan reaches 2.2 meters.





He who goes to death, I greet you!

But under the guise of an elegant white-handed woman, a gladiator is hiding. The one who will go into the final battle without fear. The one who will break your bones himself if necessary.



So this is what the "flying gait" really looks like!





— Listen, dog, I studied sambo. — Which dance is this? — No, which fight is this.

The homeland of the birds is the savannas of the South and Southeast Africa, blazing with heat. You can't hold a social dinner here; you can only have a feast on other people's bones. The secretary's closest relatives are eagles, hawks and kites - the best hunters of the bird tribe. Our hero absorbed the family wisdom and was imbued with the cruelty of the Black Continent. Thus, the world saw one of the best warriors that nature has ever known.



This bird is 50% grace and 50% fury.

The secretary bird has radically changed its hunting strategy. Unlike its relatives, it does not hover in the air for hours. The birds measure their territory with long strides in search of prey. And their possessions are not small - 50 square kilometers. This is 5,000 hectares, or 7,000 football fields!



- Hey, horned one, this is private territory! - I've already walked several kilometers, where does it end?!

Anything can become lunch: insects, reptiles, eggs and chicks of other birds. Even cubs of antelopes and cheetahs are at risk! And poisonous snakes - vipers and cobras - are also on the menu. And you know what's most amazing? Secretaries are not immune to poisons. They go into battle knowing that it could be their last.



Some birds decide to use the secretary's skill for their own benefit. For example, the stone eagle. It regularly steals prey.

As soon as the target is detected, the bird overtakes it in a couple of moments, accelerating to 30 km/ h in a straight line. A menacing trumpet cry and loud flapping of wings mark the beginning of the battle. Instead of weapons - legs, instead of a shield and helmet - wings. The fight resembles a tango with graceful steps and jumps. But this dance is not about love, but about death.



When you get a really hot dumpling and you try to cool it in your mouth.

With one precise kick, the bird easily crushes bones and skulls. Research has shown two things. First, the secretary's legs are almost twice as long as those of similar-sized birds. The bird uses its limbs as a bayonet weapon, piercing prey from afar. Second, the secretary's blow is 5 times more powerful than its body weight - about 20 kg. Each new attack is delivered with lightning speed - contact lasts only 10-15 milliseconds. This is 5 times faster than a person blinks!



Scientists were able to measure the force of the blow thanks to birds trained to hit rubber snakes.

The victim didn't lose his head and was going to deny it? You're welcome. Just don't break the fangs! The hard flight feathers protect the bird from the counterattack of the toxic reptiles. Having released all the poison, the reptiles remain disarmed, wounded and, as a result, dead.



The tale of the turnip in Africa has very dark colors...

A victory dinner looks like a sacrifice to the bloodthirsty gods of war. Birds salute with the carcass to make sure that the prey is dead. Sometimes secretaries fly up into trees and throw the body of especially poisonous reptiles from a height to make sure they don't run into a poisoned fang.



It was previously believed that snakes make up the main part of the secretary bird's diet. But it turned out that for the birds, this is one of the piquant snacks.

But do not think that the savannah gladiator is heartless. All his sensuality is directed towards the family. A pair of warriors who found each other in the vastness of the hot savannah are blown away by love! They sing serenades, arrange passionate dances, and furiously drive competitors away from the territory. Secretaries are monogamous birds. The family couple shares both joys and sorrows.



Even the most romantic dinner will not bring you together as tightly as a joint renovation.

The result is a giant nest, which could easily accommodate an adult: its width is 1.5 meters, depth - 50 cm. And also - clutch. It contains no more than three eggs. There is an unpleasant tradition among chicks of birds of prey - to kill each other. But the little secretaries, despite their warlike nature, do not sin in this way. If there is enough food, after a couple of months all the kids will fly out of the nest. If not, the weakest will die in fair competition without unnecessary bloodshed.



Secretaries bring not only food but also water to the chicks in their crops. Since the chicks sit in the open sun, the babies can overheat.

But after leaving their parental home, the young secretary will not become independent. Parents take care of the chicks until they learn to hunt. Young people can master the gladiatorial art for up to six months! All this time, adults patiently show them how to kill and not be killed. And then they release the bloodlines from under their wings to free bread, so that they bear the suffering and pain of small animals throughout the African savannah!