Africa’s iconic raptors are soaring into oblivion
15 Dec 2020
SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 23: Martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus), Accipitridae, Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
Seeing a charismatic secretary bird in the wild, with its long legs and eyelashes and crest of feathers, sparked Dr Melissa Howes-Whitecross’s love for birds, birdwatching and, ultimately, her conservation career. She is the landscape conservation programme manager for BirdLife South Africa.
“I’m yet to meet someone lucky enough to encounter these incredible birds and not walk away in awe,” says Howes-Whitecross, of the iconic secretary birds, which stride and strike at dangerous snakes with precision accuracy and extreme force.