Seriema supermodels!

Today's post is a natural history of the Red Legged Seriema, featuring Sara and Gomez.

red-legged seriema
Cariama cristata

Description tall, long-legged birds; loose plumage, especially on the neck and underparts; mainly gray, with shades of brown, except the abdomen, which is white; wing and tail feathers are banded black and white; blue skin surrounding the eye; crest comprised of tufts of permanently raised slightly stiff feathers at the base of the bill which can reach 4 inches in length; bill and legs both red; raptor-like hooked beak; feet have three short, very sharp front toes, and a raised smaller hind toe

Sex: both sexes look alike, with the male slightly larger than females

Age: 10-20 years in captivity Length: (Height) 35-36”

Weight: 5-7 lbs.

Habitat: lightly wooded to open savanna areas; known to hunt recently burned areas where insects and small vertebrates are easily found; recently cleared forest areas

Status: not threatened although traditional habitat is changing due to human interference; seem to have adapted to these changes; breed fairly well in captivity

Range: South America from central and eastern Brazil through eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and central Argentina

Behavior: mostly ground dwelling; can run upwards of 43 mph; fly only when necessary to evade predators or to reach a perch; most often seen alone or in pairs; groups of three or more birds most likely parents and offspring; diurnal species; monogamous; courtship involves male showing off flight feathers by stretching them to one side, strutting with head down and crest raised; both sexes build nest of twigs and branches lined with mud and leaves; two white, slightly spotted eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes for 27-28 days; chicks covered in long light brown feathers and are fed by both parents; chicks leave the nest and follow parents at 12-15 days; chicks fledge at one month;

Diet: insects, small rodents, lizards, frogs, birds, and snakes, as well as seeds, fruits and cultivated crops such as corn, beans, and grains

Vocalization: very loud, yelping call, which can be heard from over a mile away

√ No wild caught red-legged seriemas have been imported since 1981

√ seriemas like to sunbathe, lying on their sides, sometimes appearing to be dead