The striking appearance of the Red Legged
Seriema is defined by it's long red legs.
While not classed as a bird of prey, it belongs
to the Cariamidae family that bear strong
comparisons with the Secretary Bird.
The Red Legged Seriema spends much of its
time on the ground. It rarely flies but prefers
to run from danger. However, they do roost,
or spend the night, in trees. They also sunbathe
lying on the ground on their sides, sometimes
appearing to be dead. They have very loud calls
that can be heard as far as a mile away.
The call is described as sounding like the yelp
of a dog. Calling generally occurs in the morning,
as a male and female pair cry out to each other.
The purpose of the calling is to defend their
territory from other members of the same
species. Red Legged Seriemas mate for life.
They build their nests as high as 3m off the
ground, usually in a tree. The female lays two
eggs at a time. Both parents help incubate the
eggs, which hatch after 25-28 days. The chicks
are able to fly after approximately one month.
