Terror birds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PhorusrhacidsTemporal range: Middle Palaeocene – Lower Pleistocene
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| Paraphysornis. | |
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Cariamae
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†Phorusrhacidae
Ameghino, 1889
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Imagine a giant bird that couldn't fly, but was a super-fast hunter! These were the Terror Birds, also known as the Phorusrhacidae family. They were huge meat-eating birds that lived in South America a very long time ago. For millions of years, from about 62 to 2 million years ago, they were the top hunters there. These amazing birds could stand as tall as 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet).
One of the biggest terror birds was called Titanis walleri. We know it lived in Texas and Florida in North America. This means terror birds were the only large South American hunters to travel north. This happened during an event called the Great American Interchange. It occurred after a land bridge, the Isthmus of Panama, formed about three million years ago.
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Discovering Terror Birds
In 2006, scientists found a new type of terror bird in Patagonia. It was from the Middle Miocene period, about 15 million years ago. This new species was named Kelenken guillermoi. It had the largest bird skull ever found!
The fossil skull was almost complete and measured about 71 centimeters (28 inches) long. Its beak was about 46 centimeters (18 inches) long. It curved like an eagle's beak, making it a very scary weapon. Most terror birds were smaller, about 60 to 90 centimeters (2 to 3 feet) tall. But Kelenken guillermoi was a giant, probably standing about 3 meters (10 feet) tall.
How Terror Birds Hunted
These large terror birds were very fast and agile runners. They could reach speeds of up to 48 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour). This made them excellent hunters.
Scientists have even used models to understand how terror birds attacked their prey. The Discovery Channel used a special model to show that the larger species could easily crush the skull of an animal. Their powerful beaks could even break through bone. They had a fearsome beak that could hit prey with the force of a sledgehammer. Terror birds were known as "terror birds" because the bigger ones were the top hunters during the Miocene age.
Well-Known Terror Bird Types
Here are some well-known types of terror birds:
- Brontornis
- Phorusrhacos
- Titanis
Images for kids
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CT scan of the skull of Andalgalornis ferox
See also
In Spanish: Fororrácidos para niños
