Definition of secretary bird in US English:
secretary bird
nounˈsɛkrəˌtɛri bərdˈsekrəˌterē bərd
A slender long-legged African bird of prey that feeds on snakes, having a crest likened to a quill pen stuck behind the ear.
Sagittarius serpentarius, the only member of the family Sagittariidae
Example sentencesExamples
- Or witness Annie Martin, killing kittens and feeding them to a secretary bird on her ostrich farm in South Africa.
- The birds are also in plenty: secretary birds, cranes, stork, vultures and ostriches.
- We stopped and scanned the horizon with binoculars, spotting a family of warthogs and a secretary bird.
- Accipitridae is one of three families in the order Falconiformes, which also includes falcons and secretary birds.