Summary

Episode 139 of The Science of Birds takes listeners into prehistory to meet the Terror Birds: giant, flightless predators of the family Phorusrhacidae. Standing as tall as 10 feet, with axe-like beaks and sickle-clawed feet, these birds ruled South America for tens of millions of years after the dinosaurs disappeared.

Host Ivan Phillipsen explores how an isolated continent, some of empty ecological niches, and the amazing process of evolution gave rise to these fearsome hunters. Along the way, the episode looks at how they lived, how they hunted, and how they ranged from “terrifying” to surprisingly small.

Links of Interest‍

• Terror Bird scene - Life on Our Planet [VIDEO]
• The Time Terror Birds Invaded - EONS [VIDEO]
• Terror Birds: The Giant Birds With Guillotine Beaks [VIDEO]
• When Giant Terror Birds Were Apex Predators [VIDEO]

Research Citations

• The evolution and ecology of gigantism in terror birds
• First terror bird footprints reveal functionally didactyl posture
• Flexibility along the Neck of the Neogene Terror Bird Andalgalornis steulleti

Attributions

• Red-legged Seriema sounds (Xeno Canto recording XC295676)