"A long-legged predator with a crest of black feathers"- Animal Panel description
Secretary Birds are large flying predatory birds that are featured in Zoo Tycoon 2. Despite resembling a crane or a stork, this is actually a bird of prey, related to eagles and vultures. Its name is thought to come from its head feathers (which resemble the pens that secretaries used to put behind the ears). It is well known for being one of the four flying animals from Zoo Tycoon 2 (the others being the Common peafowl, the Flamingo and the Protarchaeopteryx).
Importance to designers
"Sec birds" are well noted for the huge number of fan-made birds that were made from it. Such birds include birds that fly a lot, such as wading birds and ibises (although the flamingo is still preffered); flightless birds, such as terror birds and cassowaries (although the ostrich is still prefered), in addition to other full-flight perching birds. Secretary birds were the most popular for creating theropod dinosaurs before the release of the Dino Danger Pack, as the addition of Extinct Animals allowed designers to make more accurate dinosaurs from the theropods that come in Extinct. However, now most designers seem to be more interested on the peafowl, as most ZT2 fans still don't have African Adventure, and there's already several other birds made from the peafowl, rather than the secretary bird. In some user made packs, this animal is modified into a terror bird.
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