Secretarybird

The Sagittariidae family is represented today by a single species, the secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) found in Africa, which is a type of raptor. This species' existence extends the family's known time range up to the current day, an effect known as the Pull of the recent. The name Sagittariidae was first introduced as a subfamily, Sagittariinae, in 1870 by German naturalists Otto Finsch and Gustav Hartlaub, taking precedence over other names due to the earlier description of the genus Sagittarius in 1783. Fossils from two extinct genera, Pelargopappus from Miocene deposits in France and Amanuensis from the same period in Africa, provide evidence of the family's former diversity.

Species Categories

African & Green Broadbills African & New World Parrots African Barbets Albatrosses Anhingas, Darters Austral Storm Petrels Barn Owls Bee-eaters Bulbuls Buntings Bushshrikes Bustards Buttonquail Caracaras, Falcons Chats, Old World Flycatchers Cisticolas & Allies Cormorants, Shags Coursers, Pratincoles Crab-plover Cranes Crombecs, African Warblers Crows, Jays Cuckoos Cuckooshrikes Drongos Ducks, Geese, Swans Fairy Flycatchers Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra Finches, Euphonias Finfoots Flamingos Flufftails Frigatebirds Gannets, Boobies Grassbirds & Allies Grebes Ground Hornbills Guineafowl Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Hamerkop Herons, Bitterns Honeyguides Hoopoes Hornbills Hyliotas Ibises, Spoonbills Indigobirds, Whydahs Jacanas Kingfishers Kites, Hawks, Eagles Larks Laughingthrushes & Allies Leaf Warblers & Allies Monarchs Mousebirds Nicators Nightjars Northern Storm Petrels Old World Parrots Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches Ospreys Ostriches Owls Oxpeckers Oystercatchers Painted-snipes Pelicans Penduline Tits Penguins Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels Pheasants & Allies Pigeons, Doves Pittas Plovers Rails, Crakes & Coots Reed Warblers & Allies Rockjumpers Rollers Sandgrouse Sandpipers, Snipes Secretarybird Sheathbills Shrikes Skuas Starlings, Rhabdornis Stilts, Avocets Stone-curlews, Thick-knees Storks Sugarbirds Sunbirds Swallows, Martins Swifts Sylviid Babblers Thrushes Tits, Chickadees Treecreepers Trogons Tropicbirds Turacos Vangas & Allies Wagtails, Pipits Wattle-eyes, Batises Waxbills, Munias & Allies Weavers, Widowbirds White-eyes Wood Hoopoes Woodpeckers Yellow Flycatchers

Birda Blog

A passionate photographer is outdoors, equipped with a top-notch camera for bird photography.

14 best cameras for bird photography

August 9, 2022

John White

A woman in a jacket birdwatching out in nature, looking at her phone and considering the best birding app.

11 of the best birdwatching apps in the UK

August 8, 2022

John White

A large flock of Red-necked Stints, a great bird to look for when learning how to start birdwatching.

How to start birdwatching – a helpful guide for beginners

January 18, 2022

John White

People looking at a sunset in a Top 10 Birdwatching Park in the US

The top 10 birdwatching parks in the USA

December 7, 2022

Sarah Cunningham

The Best US States For Birdwatching - map of USA with state names

The best US states for bird watching, a helpful illustrated guide

January 17, 2022

John White

Three people walking in nature in a highland, birdwatching and using one of the best free birdwatching apps

What are the best free birdwatching apps?

March 28, 2023

Will Hall

Children are outdoors, enthusiastically observing and admiring birds in their natural habitat.

12 of the best birdwatching apps in the USA

February 9, 2023

Sarah Cunningham

8x vs 10 x binoculars - person holding their pair in hand

Binoculars for birdwatching 8x vs 10x magnification

What Our Birders Say

Viperray5

Loving it

I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.

David C

Very knowledgeable group

Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.

Jake W

Great app

I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!

Alice J

Awesome Birding Community

I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!

Paul F

Very good database

Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.

Carl B

Helped me to identify more birds

Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.

Patricia L

Very encouraging birding app

Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.

Abi.M

Awesome App

I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍

Marlster24

Recommend for any bird watcher

Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃

Madstherangers

A mordern game changer

Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!

As featured in