A secretary bird strides through the golden grass with its long legs clearly separated below the dark thigh feathers. Gray folded wings overlap the black flight feathers, and long tail feathers extend behind. A spray of narrow black crest feathers gives its small orange-faced head a distinctive outline.

Low sunlight reaches beneath the dark cloud bank and catches the bird along one side. Seed heads and scattered trees spread across the broad savanna, leaving open ground ahead of the walking bird. The distant hills and layered sky establish a much larger setting around the sharply visible body, feet and attentive hooked bill.