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| Secretary Bird |
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| Secretary Bird |
Secretary birds are native to the dry uplands south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. They have long, pinkish legs with thick scales to protect them from snakebite. They are known for their snake-hunting abilities, having a killer kick to their prey. The top half of their legs are covered in black feathers. In 2020, they were declared endangered because of habitat degradation, hunting and capture for trade. (The San Diego Zoo has been successful in hatching secretary bird chicks.)
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| Quill Pen |
Why are they called Secretary birds? Come to find that back in the 1800s, male secretaries wore gray tailcoats and knee-length black pants and carried quill pens behind their ears. The secretary bird's long gray wing and tail feathers resemble a tailcoat, and its long, dark quills at the back of its head look like quill pens.
The quill was a pen made from a bird's feather. It was dipped in ink, then used to write. Come to find that goose feathers were the principal source of quills. Expensive swan feathers were preferred, but it was the crow feather that was better than either. Quill pens have been made from the feathers of the eagle, owl, hawk and turkey.
Quill pens were used to write medieval manuscripts. Quill pens were used to write the Magna Carta in 1215 and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. President Thomas Jefferson bred geese at Monticello to supply his constant need for quills.
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| Magna Carta - 1215 |
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| Declaration of Independence |
Trivia: Charles Dickens used goose quill pens. He wrote from 9 o'clock each morning until 2 in the afternoon.