Seriema
| Seriemas | |
|---|---|
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| Red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cariamiformes |
| Superfamily: | Cariamoidea Bonaparte , 1853
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| Family: | Cariamidae Bonaparte, 1853 |
| Genera | |
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| Ranges of red-legged (red) and black-legged (black) seriemas | |
The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae, which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been placed near the falcons, parrots and passerines, as well as the extinct Phorusrhacidae (terror birds).[1][2] The seriemas are large, long-legged territorial birds that range from 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length. They live in grasslands, savanna, dry woodland and open forests of Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. There are two species of seriemas, the red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) and the black-legged seriema (Chunga burmeisteri).[3] Names for these birds in the Tupian languages are variously spelled as siriema, sariama, and çariama, and mean "crested".[4]
Description
Both species are around 90 cm (35 in) long (the red-legged seriema is slightly bigger than the black-legged, with 90 and 70–85 cm respectively). The seriemas forage on foot and run from danger rather than fly (though they can fly for short distances, and they roost in trees). They have long legs, necks, and tails, but only short wings, reflecting their way of life. Also, they are among the largest ground-dwelling birds
They are brownish birds with short bills and erectile crests, found in fairly dry open country, the red-legged seriema preferring grasslands and the black-legged seriema preferring scrub and open woodland. Also, they give loud, yelping calls and are often heard before they are seen. Furthermore, they have sharp claws, with an extensible and very curved second toe claw.[3]
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The black-legged seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) is smaller and has a more restricted distribution. -
The frontal crest of theNeotropicalbirds. -
The seriemas have short wings and rarely take flight. -
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Classification
These birds are thought to be the closest living relatives of a group of gigantic (up to 10 ft or 3.0 m tall) carnivorous "terror birds", the
Extant species
There are two living species of seriema.
| Image | Genus | Species | Description | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Cariama Brisson, 1760 | red-legged seriema, or crested cariama (Cariama cristata) | It is bigger and nests on the ground or in bushes or trees up to 3 m (9.8 ft) above the ground. | Eastern Brazil, to central Argentina |
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Chunga Hartlaub, 1860 | black-legged seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) | It nests in trees. | Northwest Argentina and Paraguay |
Behaviour and ecology
Because of these feeding behaviors, seriemas are important by eating detritivores and helping the soil get more nutrients from dead plant matter.[clarification needed]
In contact with humans, seriemas are suspicious and if they feel threatened, usually spread their wings and face the threat. They walk in pairs or small groups. Although perfectly capable of flying, they prefer to spend most of their time on land. They take flight only when necessary, for example to escape a predator. Overnight they take shelter in the treetops, where they also build their nests.
Breeding
The breeding biology of the seriemas is poorly known, and much of what is known comes only from red-legged seriemas. Pairs appear to be territorial and avoid others of their species while breeding, and fights between rivals have been observed. These fights involving kicking rivals, can go on for long periods of time, and involve much calling by the involved birds.[11]
Seriemas build a large bulky stick
References
- PMID 25504713. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
- ^ ISBN 84-87334-20-2
- ^ New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ a b Naish, Darren (2006-10-27). "Terror birds". Darren Naish: Tetrapod Zoology. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ . Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- JSTOR 20627072.
- ^ Jorge I. Noriega; Gerald Mayr (2017). "The systematic affinities of the putative seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis (Noriega et al., 2009) from the Miocene of Argentina". Contribuciones del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". 7: 133–139.
- ^ hdl:11336/41730– via BioOne.
- ^ Morlo, M.; Schaal, S.; Mayr, G.; Seiffert, C. (2004). "An annotated taxonomic list of the Middle Eocene (MP 11) Vertebrata of Messel" (PDF). Courier Forschingsinstitut Senckenberg. 252: 95–108.
- ^ a b Gonzaga, Luiz P. & Bonan, A. (2017). Seriemas (Cariamidae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/52233 on 4 April 2017).
External links
- Seriema videos on the Internet Bird Collection