Longleat Celebrating Birth of Rare Secretary Bird Chick

Thursday, 27 June 2024 01:00

Keepers at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire are celebrating the safe arrival of an endangered secretary bird chick.

The chick, whose gender is unknown, was born just two weeks ago to six-year-old mum Janine and dad Kevin, aged eight.

Found across Sub-Saharan Africa, the species Sagittarius serpentarius, literally ‘the archer of snakes’, gets its Latin name due to its prowess at hunting snakes and other reptiles.

(Image: Ian Turner, Longleat)

The giant birds, which can reach up to 1.3m in height and have a two-metre-wingspan use their long legs, the longest of any bird of prey, to stamp on prey exerting a force up to six times their bodyweight in just 15 milliseconds.

Secretary birds have a lifespan in the wild of 12-15 years and up to 19 years in captivity. The birds mate for life and will also hunt as a couple. Janine and Kevin have been living together at Longleat since 2018 and this is only their second chick.

(Image: Ian Turner, Longleat)

Leader keeper lakes and birds Matt Hardy said: “It is exciting to have a successful hatch of an endangered species that will hopefully be able to move on to another collection and create a new breeding programme in the future.

“We are providing extra smaller food items for the parents to give to the chick and as secretary birds can be very protective of their nests and chicks, we are ensuring they have as much space and peace and quiet as possible,” he added.

It is classed as Endangered due to the large declines being reported due to habitat degradation, hunting and trade.

The young family can be seen in the drive-through Safari near the rhino paddock.

(Image: Ian Turner, Longleat)

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