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Cariamiformes
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Classification An order of primarily flightless birds that have been around for 63 million years.They have traditionally been considered as a suborder of the Gruiformes, but based on both morphological and genetic studies, they are now treated as a bird order whose close relatives are the Falconiformes, Psittaciformes and Passeriformes. There are two
species, both
restricted to southern-central South America. The red-legged, or
crested, seriema, inhabits grasslands, but the nest
is built in bushes or trees. The black-legged seriema, sometimes called
gray seriema, which
inhabits wooded
areas, is darker and grayer, with a shorter crest and shorter
legs. The seriema feeds on insects, snails, reptiles, and berries. Hackett SJ et al (2008): Phylogenomic Study of Birds
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