The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly
terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the
open grasslands and savannas of the sub-Saharan region. It is a very
large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird
a height of about 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The sexes are similar in
appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and mostly grey
plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and
thighs. The secretarybird hunts and catches prey on the ground, often
stomping on victims to kill them. Insects and small vertebrates make up
its diet. Although the secretarybird has a large range, localised
surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid
decline, probably as a result of habitat degradation. The species is
therefore classed as endangered by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms
of Sudan and South Africa.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1791:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, composed
shortly before his death, premiered at Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute>
1920:
Times Square Theater opened on Broadway with a production of
The Mirage, a play written by its owner, Edgar Selwyn.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Theater>
1939:
NBC broadcast the first televised American football game,
between the Fordham Rams and the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Waynesburg_vs._Fordham_football_game>
2000:
Twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah was shot dead in the Gaza
Strip; the Israel Defense Forces initially accepted responsibility but
retracted it five years later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Muhammad_al-Durrah>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
communalect:
(linguistics) Especially in Pacific linguistics: the lect (or linguistic
variety) spoken by a particular speech community.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/communalect>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I truly believe that there is a center in the political spectrum
that is the best place to run something when you have a very diverse
community. America is diverse; we are not all one people. We are many
different colors, religions, backgrounds, education levels, all of it.
--Dianne Feinstein
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein>