A different closer shot of the bird put on last week @shepherdmanswife/365/2015-11-27
Does anyone know what it is? He had very long legs and was the size of a small chicken on stilts! Cariamidae - Seriemas
Thank you @annied that is what he/she is and thanks for the link below:
There are two species in this family of birds, the red-legged seriema and the black-legged seriema. They are found in grasslands in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil.
They are a little over two feet tall and have a long neck; long legs; a long, squared tail and a small, curved bill. They also have a unique crest at the base of their bill, and they have eyelashes! They are gray and brown on their uppersides and white on their bellies.
Seriemas aren't very good fliers, but they are great runners and can run as fast as 35 mph! They have an unusual call that can be heard for miles and sounds like a yelping puppy. They eat insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles. They eat small prey whole. They hold larger prey with their claws and rip it apart. They may also beat their prey on the ground or throw it onto a rock!
@annied Thank you Annie. Spot on! I saw him in our local zoo where they help endangered species, hence he is behind glass but not at all afraid of me and my camera. As you can see he was right up to the glass!
Wonderful close-up shot - such super detail. I was puzzled about his where-abouts, too, until I read your explanation of where you shot this. How cool!
Congratulations on TT....this is such a great capture of this fowl, and thanks for the explanation, too! I don't think I have ever seen one! I am assuming they are at your local zoo... Another FAV from me!
