Bird
Red-legged Seriema
Cariama cristataAlso known as Crested Cariama, Crested Seriema
Red-legged seriemas stalk through open grasslands and thorn scrub across central South America, hunting small animals on foot with sharp eyes and long legs. When prey is captured, they beat it repeatedly against stones or hard ground to break bones before swallowing it whole. Their distinctive, loud, laughing calls echo across savannahs for kilometers, often delivered in synchronized duets at dawn.
TerrestrialPredatoryGrassland
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySnakes, Lizards, Grasshoppers
Predators
- Jaguar
- Puma
- Maned Wolf
ThreatsHabitat conversion for agriculture and livestock grazing
HabitatsSavannah, cerrado, caatinga, open pasture
Life span10–15 years
Classification
- FamilyCariamidae
- SpeciesCariama cristata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- May kick or peck forcefully if cornered or handled; observe from a respectful distance.
Responsible observation
- Listening at Dawn: Listen for loud, ringing calls early in the morning when pairs establish territory.
- Scanning Open Fields: Search dry grasslands and pastures for tall birds walking steadily through low vegetation.
- Observing Retreats: Watch as threatened birds run rapidly on long legs rather than taking flight.
Habitat Companion "Burrowing Owl" by Becky Matsubara is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Competitor (c) Rigelus, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.