Birds · Gruiformes · Cariamidae

Black-legged Seriema

Chunga burmeisteri

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The black-legged seriema is a cariamiform bird of the family Cariamidae, the only family in the order. It is the only living member of the genus Chunga and one of only two living species in this family. Its Spanish name comes from the colour of its legs, an important difference from the other seriema species, the red-legged seriema Cariama cristata. Its scientific name refers to the German naturalist, palaeontologist and zoologist Hermann Burmeister, who spent most of his career in Argentina.

Weight

1.1 kg – 1.4 kg

Size

70 cm – 85 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

Along with the red-legged seriema it is the only living relative of the phorusrhacids, the terror birds: flightless predators up to three metres tall that were the great carnivores of South America for tens of millions of years.
It is more arboreal than its relative: it roosts in trees and often hunts from a low branch, dropping onto lizards and rodents passing beneath.
Its song is a rising wail that pairs perform as a duet at dawn, and is one of the characteristic sounds of the dry Chaco.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Dry Chaco woodland, thorn scrub and dense brush of central South America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 29 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunga_burmeisteri