Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) — Endangered

Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), a tall, long-legged bird of prey. — Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Serengeti.
Image: Thomas Fuhrmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category: EN · Endangered
Animal group: Birds
Population trend: Decreasing
FaunaHub record reviewed: 2026-06-16
Checked against IUCN: Matches source — IUCN's 2020 global assessment of Sagittarius serpentarius says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment

Conservation overview

The secretarybird is a tall, long-legged bird of prey that hunts on foot, famous for stamping on snakes and other prey. It is assessed as Endangered.

It strides across open grassland rather than hunting mainly from the air.

Range & habitat

Grasslands and savannas across sub-Saharan Africa.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

Loss and degradation of grassland
Disturbance
Collisions and poisoning

Why it matters

A unique ground-hunting raptor, the secretarybird is both an icon of African grasslands and an indicator of their decline.

Gallery

A secretarybird striding across grassland. — Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Kenya.
Image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Secretarybird

IUCN Red List — look up Secretarybird (authoritative status)
Animal Diversity Web

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the secretarybird hunt?

It walks across grassland and kills prey — including snakes, insects, and small animals — with powerful, rapid stamps of its long legs, an unusual technique among birds of prey.

Why is the secretarybird Endangered?

Published assessments cite the loss and degradation of grassland habitat, disturbance, and threats such as collisions and poisoning. See the IUCN Red List.