Seriema age of four to five months. It is unknown when fledged chicks reach sexual maturity. There are two living species of seriemas. The red-legged seriema, or crested cariama ("Cariama cristata") is found from eastern Brazil, to central Argentina. It is bigger and nests on the ground or in bushes or trees up to above the ground. The black-legged seriema ("Chunga burmeisteri") is found in northwest Argentina and Paraguay. It nests in trees. These birds are thought to be the closest living relatives of a group of gigantic (up to tall) carnivorous "terror birds", the phorusrhacids, which are known from fossils
Red-legged seriema the black-legged seriema, farmers often use them as guard animals to protect poultry from predators and sometimes human intruders. It is 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 in) long and weighs about 1.5 kg, with a fairly long neck, tail, and legs. The plumage is medium brown above with black markings; pale brown on the head, neck, and breast; and white on the belly. The tail has a black band near the tip and a white tip. The beak and legs are red, and the eyes are yellow. Soft feathers emerge from the base of the bill to form