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
_______________________________ 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
_____________________________ 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
___________________________ 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
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