First described by English illustrator John Frederick Miller in 1779, the Secretary Bird was soon assigned to its
own genus, Sagittarius, by French naturalist Johann Hermann in his Tabula Affinatum Animalium. It was not until 1935
that the species was moved to its own family, distinct from all other birds of prey—a classification confirmed by
molecular systematics. Recent cladistic analysis has shown Sagittariidae to be an older branch of the diurnal
birds of prey than Accipitridae and Falconidae, but a younger divergence than Cathartidae. Sometimes, the enigmatic
bird Eremopezus is classified as an early relative of the secretary bird, though this is quite uncertain as
the bird is only known from a few fragmentary body parts such as the legs.
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