This time we are gonna meet another bird with interesting looking head - Red-legged seriema.
Red-legged seriema
The red-legged seriema is around 75 to 90 centimetres (30 to 35 in) long and weighs about 1.5 to 2.2 kilograms (3.3 to 4.9 lb),with long legs, necks, and tails. It has a greyish-brown plumage, finely barred and vermiculated with dark brown and black; pale brown on the head, neck, and breast; white on belly. The long, broad outer tail has a subterminal black band and a white tip. It has a reddish beak and very long, salmon-coloured legs. The eyes are yellow. Soft feathers emerge from the base of the bill to form a distinctive fan-shaped crest.
Seriemas are wary, territorial, and diurnal birds. Generally, the red-legged seriema is sedentary, although there are reports of temperature-related migrations. It is typically seen singly or in pairs, but occasionally in groups of up to four individuals, apparently families. It usually walks on the ground and can easily run faster than a human in its habitat.
Red-legged seriemas are omnivorous, probably eating prey in response to its abundance. Diets mainly consist of arthropods (such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants and spiders), insect larvae, lizards, amphibians, snakes, rodents and other small vertebrates; occasionally, corn (Zea) grains and other crops, wild fruits and tree gum. In captivity, and probably even in the wild, eggs and chicks of other bird species are also eaten.
Typically feeds alone or in pairs, seasonally in small family groups; forages walking steadily, looking for food on the ground or in low vegetation. Foraging birds sometimes stays obscured due to cryptic plumage colours. It grabs small vertebrates in its beak and beats them against the ground before dismembering them with its beak and claws.
Distribution
The red-legged seriema inhabits most of central and eastern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern and southeastern Bolivia, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. It is found at elevations up to 6,600 feet (2,000 m).
They prefers grassland habitat to any other. Though it likes to inhabit lush meadows near rivers, it will not readily move into wetlands or crop fields. It frequents semi-open and fairly dry areas such as thorny scrub and semi-arid woodland regions, savannas and ranchlands, and also hilly grasslands near wooded areas. This species is very typical in Caatinga, Cerrado and Chaco.
Conservation
In the red list it is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is widespread, but not common anywhere. In some areas it is hunted, in others it is protected by farmers as a beneficial bird that devours rodents and snakes. In the southern part of the range the species suffers from urban sprawl and the destruction of its habitat, in the northern part it can expand its habitat as a result of man-made deforestation.
That's it for today. See you all next time.
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