Order Cariamiformes / Seriemas

There are only two living species of Cariamiformes at present that have some unique features:

• Seriemas, the living representatives of cariamiformes, are terrestrial birds that live on the ground, and rarely fly.
• These birds are large with long legs adapted for running. They can grow as high as one meter and weigh about 1.5 kg.
• The heads of seriemas are similar to heads of hawks.
• These birds also have long necks and long tails that assist in running and balance.
• These birds are omnivorous, can feed on snakes, small mammals, insects, and plants.
• Seriemas build nests on the ground and usually lay two eggs.
• Both parents participate in building the nest and feeding the chicks.
• The chicks of seriemas can follow their parents in 20 days after hatching.
• Both species of seriemas are restricted to South America only.
• Red-legged seriema usually lives in grasslands.
• Black-legged seriema can live in trees.
• Seriemas have a sickle claw on its middle toe that can help cut up the prey.
• Seriemas peculiarly kill their prey: they drop it on the ground multiple times until it is killed and then eat it.
• The extinct species that belong to this order, such as terror birds and Bathornis were large predators with sharp beaks and legs.
• Terror birds are thought to be the apex predators in the Cenozoic era.
• Seriemas can be tamed and are used as guard species by local farmers.

Here is the list of known living and extinct Cariamiformes species:

• Red-legged seriema, Cariama cristata
• Black-legged seriema, Chunga burmeisteri
• Bathornis veredus
• Terror birds, Titanis walleri
• Angalgornis steuletti
• Strigogyps sapea
• Elaphrocnemus crex
• Qianshanornis rapax