Secretary Birds are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and are non-migratory.
The Secretary Bird is instantly recognizable as having an eagle-like body on crane-like legs which increases the bird?s height to around 1.3 m (four feet) tall. This 140 cm long bird has an eagle-like head with a hooked bill, but has rounded wings.[3] From a distance or in flight it resembles a crane more than a bird of prey. The tail has two elongated central feathers that extend beyond the feet during flight, as well as long flat plumage creating a posterior crest.[4] It likely gets its English name from its crest of long feathers which make it appear to be carrying quill pens behind its ears, as secretaries once did. A more recent hypothesis is that this is a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or "hunter-bird."[5]
The genus name, Sagittarius refers to the same feature, but in this case likened to an archer's arrows. Serpentarius reflects the fact that this is a specialist predator of snakes. Secretary Bird flight feathers and thighs are black, while most of the coverts are grey with some being white.[6] Sexes look alike, although the male has longer head plumes and tail feathers. Adults have a featherless red face as opposed to the yellow colored facial skin in young.[7]
Looks like I'm gonna have to school our new friend that these birds are not from Peru. 