Bird:
Black-legged Seriema aka Lesser
Seriema
(Chunga burmeisteri)
Meaning - "Seriema" is an American Indian word.
Range:
Lowlands of south central South America in eastern and southeastern Bolivia,
Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina. Smaller range than red-legged Seriema.
Found in open woodland, thorny woodland, and shrubby plains habitats.
Size:
Length: 22 - 30 in.
Wingspan: 3 - 4 ft.
Weight: 900 - 1500 g
Diet:
Omnivorous diet includes snakes, lizards, frogs, birds, small vertebrates, insects,
fruit, and vegetable matter. Seriema's will slam large prey items on rocks to
pulverize their meal to make it easier to swallow whole.
Description:
They have long necks, slender black legs, elongated muscular bodies, long tails,
rounded wings, grayish feathers, and a long, heavy, bushy crest. The bill is
also black.
Natural History:
Black-legged Seriemas are one of two species of seriemas, the other being the
Red-legged Seriema. Foraging in pairs or small groups, they are unable to distinguish
venomous vs. non-venomous snakes, which has caused some Seriema deaths. They
have a loud yelping call. Farmers use seriemas with chickens to signal with their
alarm call when strangers approach, and to kill snakes. Their distinguishing
call has often been compared to a yelping puppy. The loud cry can be heard several
kilometers away and is usually given in the early morning. The call is most often
used to define territory between pairs and is often heard as a duet between the
two birds. At the onset of the call, the head is held straight and by the end
of the call, the loudest part, the neck is held so the back of the head nearly
touches the back of the bird. Their nest is compact and made of sticks; built
anywhere from ground level to 10 ft. up in a tree. They are often hunted for
game. They are very wary and rarely seen, but often heard yelping. Seriemas are
the sole survivors of a primitive group of giant ground-dwelling predatory birds
that inhabited South America more than 25 million years ago. There are only two
present day species and they are closely related to the bustard family. Fossilized
predecessors of the seriemas of today have been found in North and South America
and Europe. These ancestors stood anywhere from three to ten feet high and had
huge, sharp beaks, making them significant predators.
Personal History:
Sluggo and Gertie - Hatched in captivity, they have been performing in shows
for more than 5 years. They are both used to demonstrate the natural behavior
of pulverizing their prey before eating, using a rubber alligator or snake and
a rock.
Sluggo 2 and Whammo -
Back
Bird:
Red-legged Seriema aka Crested
Seriema
(Cariama cristat)
Range:
Lowlands of southeastern South America in central,
eastern, and southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern
and southeastern Bolivia, Uruguay and northern Argentina.
Found in shrubby plains and dry scrub grasslands between
the Amazon rainforest and the pampas of Argentina.
Also found in lightly wooded areas and open savanna.
The main concentration of this species is in the grassy
savanna region of central Brazil. They can be found
at elevations of 2000 m. They are often found in areas
where fire has recently passed through.
Size:
A tall, long legged bird, standing about 2 ft. tall.
Length: 27 in. (90 cm)
Wingspan: 3 - 4 ft.
Weight: 1600 - 3000 g
Diet:
Omnivorous diet includes small mammals, insects, snakes,
worms, frogs, birds, lizards, snails, fruit, and vegetable
matter. Seriema's will slam large prey items on rocks
to pulverize their meal to make it easier to swallow
whole.
Description:
These are large terrestrial birds with long necks,
long legs, and elongated bodies. They have a crested
head with reddish beak and legs, and a brownish grey
body. The abdomen is white. The wing and tail feathers
are banded brown and white. the skin surrounding the
eye is blue, and the iris is yellow. The hooked beak
is often compared to that of a raptor. Males and females
look alike, with males being slightly larger than females.
The crest is comprised of tufts of permanently raised
slightly stiff feathers at the base of the bill, which
can reach 10 cm in length. Seriemas have loose plumage,
especially on the neck and underparts.
Natural History:
Red-legged Seriemas are one of two species of seriemas,
the other being the Black-legged Seriema. They spend
most of their time on the ground except for roosting
in low trees or bushes. They rarely fly but are very
fast on the ground and can outrun predators. They have
been clocked running upwards of 70 km/hr. The anatomical
arrangement of their toes prevents them from catching
prey with their feet. They are considered diurnal.
This species has recently colonized man made grassy
areas and seriemas seem to be adapting to human encroachment
in general. Also, they may often be found in areas
where fire has recently passed through and where insects
and small vertebrates may be easily found. They nest
in bushes or low trees from ground level to 10 ft.
up in a tree, using sticks as their building material
and mud and leaves for the lining. Both sexes build
the nest and construction generally takes a month.
The courtship display done by the male involves showing
off the flight feathers by stretching them to one side.
The display is also accompanied by strutting in front
of the female, with the head pointed down and the crest
raised. Clutches are usually 2 white eggs irregularly
streaked with brown, and are incubated for 25 - 28
days by both parents. Chicks fledge in one month. Seriemas
are considered monogamous and territorial and usually
sedentary in their movements, although movements in
response to temperature changes have been reported.
They live and forage in small groups or pairs. Groups
of three or more birds are most likely parents and
offspring. While dust bathing is practiced, this species
also sun bathes, during which, they lie on their side
sometimes appearing as if they are dead. Farmers often
use them as "watch dogs" among their domestic
fowl. This is because of their distinguishing call,
which has often been compared to a yelping puppy. The
loud cry can be heard several kilometers away and is
usually given in the early morning. The call is most
often used to define territory between pairs and is
often heard as a duet between the two birds. At the
onset of the call, the head is held straight and by
the end of the call, the loudest part, the neck is
held so the back of the head nearly touches the back
of the bird. Seriemas are the sole survivors of a primitive
group of giant ground-dwelling predatory birds that
inhabited South America more than 25 million years
ago. There are only two present day species and they
are closely related to the bustard family. Fossilized
predecessors of the seriemas of today have been found
in North and South America and Europe. These ancestors
stood anywhere from three to ten feet high and had
huge, sharp beaks, making them significant predators.
Personal History:
Captive bred and trained to perform their natural behavior
of slamming their prey on a rock, we use a rubber lizard
or snake to demonstrate this unusual and often humorous
behavior.
Ernie - Born at the Knoxville Zoological Gardens in
1992 and acquired by NEI in 1993.
Guy - Acquired from the Palm Beach Zoo in 1998 at 3
months old.
Bambo - Hatched on July 4th, 1996 at the Knocksville
Zoo and obtained by NEI in 1999 from Disney's Discovery
Island.
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