Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-legged Seriema
Chunga burmeisteri
Black-legged Seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) — Unusual & Unique Birds of South America.
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The Black-legged Seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) is a member of the Cariamidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 1.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Cariamiformes
- Family Cariamidae Seriemas
- Genus Chunga
- Species burmeisteri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.3 kg
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cariamidae
- Order
- Cariamiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-legged Seriema is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-legged Seriema is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-legged Seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) belongs to the Cariamidae family of the order Cariamiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Bolivia and w Paraguay to c Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.3 kg, with a wing length of about 30 cm and a tail of around 30.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 736,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-legged Seriema?
The Black-legged Seriema is a very large bird that weighs around 1.3 kg.
Where does the Black-legged Seriema live?
The Black-legged Seriema is found across South America with a range covering SA s Bolivia and w Paraguay to c Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-legged Seriema belong to?
The Black-legged Seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) belongs to the Cariamidae family, in the order Cariamiformes.
What does the Black-legged Seriema eat?
The Black-legged Seriema is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-legged Seriema migrate?
The Black-legged Seriema is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-legged Seriema endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-legged Seriema make?
1 real field recording of the Black-legged Seriema — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-legged Seriema's range?
The Black-legged Seriema has a mapped global range of about 736,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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