Secretary Bird’s Hidden Third Eyelid Captured in Award-Winning Photo

A stunning photograph of a secretary bird closing its third eyelid while catching a locust midair won the Ecology and Environmental Science category in the 2024 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition. The image, taken by biologist Peter Hudson, highlights the bird’s unique adaptation: a nictitating membrane that protects its eyes during feeding. Secretary birds, native to sub-Saharan Africa, use their long legs to hunt prey like locusts and lizards.

A captivating photograph shows the exact moment a secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) uses its third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, to protect its eyes while catching a locust midair. Taken by biologist and photographer Peter Hudson, the image won the Ecology and Environmental Science category in the 2024 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition, which celebrates remarkable scientific phenomena in nature.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, secretary birds are large predators that hunt locusts, lizards, and amphibians on foot using their long legs. Hudson described the third eyelid as “nature’s goggles,” shielding the bird’s eyes during feeding. This fascinating adaptation is beautifully highlighted in the award-winning shot.

The competition’s top prize went to an aerial image of sharks hunting fish, captured by Angela Albi from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.