RED-LEGGED SERIEMA Cariama cristata
The Seriemas are a pair of unusual long-legged predatory birds that are endemic to South America. They fill an ecological niche similar to that of the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius of Africa and are believed to be the closest living relatives of the immense "Terror Birds" or Phorusrachoids that were the top of the predatory tree before the union of North and South America. Today the Seriemas are not as terrible as their ancient predecessors, but are always near the top of the "must-see" lists for visiting birders. They are sociable birds, famed for their loud choruses. Red-legged is the most widespread species.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE1648PH) Adult dorsal, Zoologico de Asunción, Departamento Central (Paul Smith July 2007).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE1649PH) Adult lateral, Ruta Trans-Chaco km200, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE1650PH) Same individual as (FPAVE1649PH) dorsal view (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE1651PH) Flock, Campo León, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Hugo del Castillo July 2007).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE1652PH) Adult on nest, Estancia Señorita, Departamento San Pedro (Hemme Batjes, November 2005).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE2813PH) Upperwing of roadkill specimen, Cuenca Upper Yacare Sur, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith September 2011).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE2814PH) Underwing of same roadkill specimen as (FPAVE2813PH) (Paul Smith September 2011).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE2815PH) Tail of same roadkill specimen as (FPAVE2813PH) (Paul Smith September 2011).
VIDEO - (FPAVE1653VI) Pair, Ruta Trans-Chaco km300, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith September 2010).
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Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes and Hugo del Castillo and is used with permission.
Cariama cristata
1 (FPAVE1654RE) Song recorded Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.