Secretary Birds generally prey on small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles but these ambitious birds were seen hunting and killing a scrub hare!
This unique sighting was captured by Grant Telfer, 38-year-old, Safari Guide Trainer and Camp Manager, while doing guide training in Kichwa Tembo Camp, Masai Mara Kenya.
Grant tells LatestSightings.com the story: “We were out guide training and found the two Secretarybirds descending from the trees at sunrise. They were out hunting and were moving from grass thicket to thicket. The grass was quite short as the wildebeest migration was around that time.”
“The birds flushed the young scrub hare and took off after it. Accurate strikes to the head and spine crippled the hare and the birds made short work of it. The action just never stopped and a tawny eagle tried to steal the hare from the secretary birds! It can be seen in the back of the video watching the action unfold.”
“There was a lot of enthusiasm amongst the guides to see the birds in action. We had seen them catch locusts, and small snakes in the past but never a mammal of such a size!”
“I have not seen or heard of similar footage and having grown up in the bush and been guiding since 2004 this was a first. Although it is rare it is documented in the books as a possibility. But I am not aware of anyone filming them hunting like this before.”
Grant was able to capture this footage by hanging back, and giving the birds space to hunt naturally and undisturbed. He says “watch the animal’s body language and behavior carefully and be patient – it pays off!”