There is one species in this family. The secretary bird is found on the open steppes and savannahs of East Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

It is a strange-looking bird. It stands about four feet tall and has very long legs with feathers down to the knees. This makes the secretary bird look like it is wearing old-fashioned breeches.

It is gray from its head to its chest. It has a black crest of feathers that runs down its back. It has black wing and tail feathers. It has a curved gray bill edged in yellow and reddish-orange skin around its large eyes.

It eats small mammals, large insects, young birds, lizards, and snakes. It stomps its prey to death with its long legs. The secretary bird usually lives in pairs. It nests and roosts in trees and is a graceful flyer and an excellent runner.