The red-legged seriema, also known as the crested cariama and crested seriema, is a mostly predatory terrestrial bird in the seriema family, included in the Gruiformes in the old polyphyletic circumsc
174 Red legged seriema in Encontro das Águas State Park Photo by Giles Laurent
Close-up of Cariama cristata
The sickle claw of a red-legged seriema resembles Dromaeosauridae, used in fighting
Closeup of head; Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Florida
The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae, which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been
Red-legged seriema
…seriema (Cariama cristata), also known as the crested cariama and crested seriema, is a mostly predatory terrestrial bird in the seriema family (Cariamidae), included in the Gruiformes in the old polyphyletic circumscription but recently placed in a distinct order: Cariamiformes (along with three extinct…
The black-legged seriema (Chunga burmeisteri) is smaller and has a more restricted distribution.
The frontal crest of the red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) is unique among Neotropical birds.
The seriemas have short wings and rarely take flight.