The Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius is the single member of the family Sagittariidae. Its common English name may have been derived from the drooping black head plumes that are reminiscent of old-style quill pens placed behind a secretary’s ear. However, it is now thought more likely that the name was actually corrupted from the original Arabic ‘Saqr et-tair’ meaning ‘hunter bird’.

This endangered species is most often encountered in the open grassland areas of Zimbabwe, where their habit of ‘stomping’ and feeding on snakes has led a number of Shona tribes-people to believe that they are generally a friend to man and that they should be protected for this reason. However, contrary to this, it is still considered a bad omen should one of these birds walk across a traveller’s path, usually predicting the impending death of a close relative.

During interviews, some Ndebele people shared their belief that these birds are fond of dancing and will purposefully perform for an audience. This observation may stem from the courtship display of a pair preceding breeding, which may occur in all months of the year with a peak from August to December.

Local names for the Secretarybird in Zimbabwe:

Hwata, Munditi, Mukwasa – Shona (all dialects)
uDwayi – Ndebele
Nju, Thlame – Venda/Sotho
Mampfana – Shangaan
Jule – baTonga

Information on local beliefs for this section was obtained only from interviews with contributors.

For more information on this species visit:

https://ebird.org/species/secret2

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/secretarybird-sagittarius-serpentarius