Red-legged Seriema
Cariama cristata
- Family
- Seriemas (Cariamidae)
- Order
- Cariamiformes
Overview
The red-legged 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 families).
The red-legged seriema is widely distributed in South America, occurring in central and eastern Brazil through eastern Bolivia and Paraguay to Uruguay and central Argentina (south to La Pampa).
Like the black-legged seriema, farmers often use them as guard animals to protect poultry from predators and sometimes human intruders.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Central and eastern Brazil to Bolivia, Paraguay, and central Argentina.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Red-legged seriema
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.