The Scariest Bird Ever - Terror Bird

The first novel in my Bridgers series takes place on a version of Earth where birds have evolved to fill all the niches that are filled by mammals on our Earth. However, in the past, our version of Earth has had some carnivorous birds that would give the monstrous birds in Bridgers 1 a run for their money. Including the Terror Birds. So, what the heck is a Terror Bird?

These were large flightless birds that lived in South America (and up into North America) between 62 million years ago and 15,000 years ago (although some evidence suggests they only survived until 1.8 million years ago). They were huge, fast, vicious predators. We have found evidence of about 25 species of terror birds. 

Terror birds were big! They ranged in size from 3.3 to 9.8 feet (1 to 3 meters) tall. We think the larger ones weighed at least 330 pounds (150 kg). In fact, the largest bird skull ever found was a terror bird skull, 28 inches (71 cm) long, with a wicked-looking predator beak 18 inches (46 cm) long.

Terror bird is an appropriate name for these creatures. They must have struck terror into the mammals they preyed on. They had clawed wings that were more like arms (hey... just like the birds in Bridgers 1). They had huge, powerful talons (hind feet). They almost definitely grabbed their prey with their huge beaks. But CT scans of their skulls indicate they couldn't swing their prey side to side with much force. They had much more power in their up and down motion, and therefore we think they killed their prey by grabbing the creatures in their massive jaws and bashing them into the ground repeatedly until dead. Today, roadrunners, seriemas, and secretary birds still practice this feeding technique.

And terror birds were fast. Based on the birds' size and the structure of their bones, scientists believe they could run at least 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). It's possible these birds sometimes ate large mammals, but most likely they commonly ate rabbit-sized creatures that were easier and less dangerous to kill.

Scientists are pretty sure there is a descendant of terror birds still living today. It's called the Seriema. There are two species, and they live in South America (where most of the terror birds once lived). They stand a little less than a meter tall. They can fly for short distances, but they typically hunt while running. They even escape predators by running, and they can run fast. Like their terror bird ancestors did, they chase down prey, such as insects, lizards, snakes, frogs, birds, and rodents, then kill them by repeatedly slamming them against the ground with their beak.

The third photo below is a red-legged seriema.

Photo Credits:
- Terror bird head - DepositPhotos
- Terror bird on dry lake bed - DepositPhotos
- Red-legged seriema - DepositPhotos