“It kills snakes with kicks”: Viral video reveals the brutal precision of the Secretary Bird’s hunting style

There have been many videos of wildlife going around the internet lately, but one video that really captured attention is the Secretary Bird video that was recently uploaded to Instagram. This particular video captures how the long-legged, tall bird hunts snakes through its feet, disorients the prey with its wings, and delivers fatal kicks with such force that it crushes a snake's head easily. This remarkable video brings to light the bird's nearly "martial arts-like" approach to hunting.

Viral clip that left everyone shocked

The clip features an uncommon yet impressive interaction between the bird and the venomous snake it encounters on the ground. Instead of being speedy or sneaking up on the prey, the bird is shown walking straight towards it. People were instantly attracted to this video after seeing the caption that says that the bird "kills snakes with kicks." Raw and unfazed as it may seem, this is indeed what the bird does as shown in the video.

An interesting ground-based predator

As compared to other predators or birds of prey, this species is more adapted to moving around and living on the ground. For this reason, it is described as a "walking hunter," as it travels long distances looking for prey while being on the move. Moreover, the extremely long legs of the bird are perfect weapons that help it hunt down prey effectively. This bird targets snakes and other ground-dwelling animals.

Wings used to distract the victim

In the video, people could see how the bird uses its wings for a good reason before it attacks the snake. While approaching, it raises its wings and makes several flapping movements in order to cause confusion to the snake. In this way, the prey's attention is distracted from the predator itself, which helps the Secretary Bird to attack successfully. Experts say that this technique evolved to make it an efficient hunter.

Here's the video:

Netizens commented:

"What a pretty bird."


"How beautiful this world is."

Extremely fast kicks delivered in one motion

This particular bird's hunting style is marked by several factors, including a powerful kick that it performs while approaching the prey. In one single second, the bird kicks with immense force, targeting the snake's head or upper parts of its body. These strikes prove to be fatal to most snakes regardless of their venom resistance, and they are carried out from a safe distance from the bird.

Snakes being the main target

Snakes comprise a substantial part of the bird's diet, which includes venomous and non-venomous types in African grasslands. Being an important ecological role model for the region, this predator helps keep snake populations under control. It should be noted that venom resistance of this bird is very low, meaning that the bird avoids contact with snakes during hunting.

Martial artist of the African savannas

Secretary birds have always fascinated people because of their fighting skills, similar to a skilled martial artist. Using its wing flaps for distraction and its long legs for kicks, it manages to hunt down dangerous snakes. This clip managed to attract attention with its unique hunting style.