Meet the Bird That Kills Cobras With a Kick to the Face — A Biologist Explains

A study of the secretary bird shows how this African raptor kills snakes with rapid, precise kicks.

Researchers measured the bird’s strikes using a trained bird and a fake snake, finding kick force around five times its body weight.

The results highlight the secretary bird as a highly specialized ground predator shaped by open African grasslands.

The findings offer rare evidence for one of the fastest and most powerful bird strikes known.