Red-legged Seriema is an uncommon grassland species endemic to South America. This distinctive bird was originally thought to be related to the Secretary-bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) of Africa and later it was classified with the cranes. The two living species of Seriemas are now classified in their own family (Cariamidae) within their own order (Cariamae). They are possibly related to the extinct "Terror Birds." The name "Seriema" is from the Tupí name, meaning crested bird.
References
Healy, Tim. 2012. Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online.
Jobling, J. A. (2015). Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2015). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from www.hbw.com).
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