The Secretary Bird A secretary bird likes to keep its feet on the ground. It walks more than it flies. It walks through tall grass looking for prey. Before long, this bird


sees a poisonous snake. T e bird slowly follows the snake. T e snake senses danger. It stops. All is still. Suddenly, the bird’s head


feathers liſt up. Its wings spread out wide. T en it charges its prey. T e snake rears back. It hisses a


warning. T e bird grabs the snake’s neck. It slams the snake’s head against a rock. T e snake is stunned. T e bird does this action again and


again. Finally, the snake is dead. T e bird breaks the snake into pieces and swallows the chunks. T is bird has both physical


and behavioral traits. It raised its feathers to distract the prey. It used its powerful bill to kill it.


This secretary bird steps through the high grass, looking for a snake to attack.


This secretary bird fans out the feathers on its head during an attack.


MAY 2014 13


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