The red-legged seriema ( Cariama cristata ) is a terrestrial bird of the family Cariamidae that reaches between 75 and 90 cm in height, with a long neck and sturdy legs.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Cariamiformes |
| Family | Cariamidae |
| Genus | Cariama |
| Species | Cariama cristata |
The red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) is a terrestrial bird of the family Cariamidae that reaches between 75 and 90 cm in height, with a long neck and sturdy legs. Its plumage is greyish brown with dark markings, paler on the head, neck and chest, and white on the underparts; the tail shows a black band edged with white near the tip. Its red bill and legs, yellow eyes and a tuft of soft feathers at the base of the bill forming a kind of crest are especially striking.
It inhabits the grassland areas of central and southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina, in a range of more than 5.9 million km². It prefers prairies, steppes and low woodland near rivers, avoiding wetlands and areas of intensive farming.
It is a ground hunter that feeds on reptiles and insects, occupying an ecological niche similar to that of the secretary bird of Africa.
It nests on the ground or in bushes and trees up to 3 metres high. When the nest is raised, the chicks jump out of it rather than fly to leave it.
It can run at speeds of up to 25 km/h, faster than a human being, before resorting to flight. Pairs and family groups give complex, very loud calls, audible several kilometres away.
