"also included here. Flightless bird Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island rail (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7 g). The largest (both heaviest and tallest) flightless bird, which is also the largest living bird, is the ostrich (2.7 m, 156 kg). Ostriches are farmed for their decorative feathers, meat and their skins, which are used to make leather. Many domesticated birds, such as the domestic chicken and domestic"
"of the time period. Titanis Titanis walleri is a large extinct flightless carnivorous bird of the family Phorusrhacidae, endemic to North America from the Hempillian to the late Blancan stage of the Pliocene living 4.9—1.8 Ma, and died out during the Gelasian Age of the earliest Pleistocene, existing approximately . It was tall and weighed approximately . The generic name, ""Titanis"", refers to the titans, Ancient Greek gods that preceded the Twelve Olympians, in allusion to the bird's size. The specific name, ""T. walleri"", honors the holotype's collector, Benjamin I. Waller. It lived approximately 5-2 million years ago (early Pliocene"
"Titanis Titanis walleri is a large extinct flightless carnivorous bird of the family Phorusrhacidae, endemic to North America from the Hempillian to the late Blancan stage of the Pliocene living 4.9—1.8 Ma, and died out during the Gelasian Age of the earliest Pleistocene, existing approximately . It was tall and weighed approximately . The generic name, ""Titanis"", refers to the titans, Ancient Greek gods that preceded the Twelve Olympians, in allusion to the bird's size. The specific name, ""T. walleri"", honors the holotype's collector, Benjamin I. Waller. It lived approximately 5-2 million years ago (early Pliocene to early Pleistocene) in"
"Aerotitan Aerotitan is a genus of large azhdarchid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. The type species ""Aerotitan sudamericanus"" was in 2012 named and described by Fernando Novas, Martin Kundrat, Federico Agnolína, Martin Ezcurra, Per Erik Ahlberg, Marcelo Isasi, Alberto Arriagada and Pablo Chafrat. The generic name is derived from Greek ἀήρ, ""aer"", ""air"", and Titan in reference to the fact the species represents a large flying reptile. The specific name refers to its provenance from South-America. The holotype, MPCN-PV 0054, has been recovered near the Bajo de Arriagada site, in Patagonia, from a layer of the"
"Greater rhea The greater rhea (""Rhea americana"") is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the grey, common, or American rhea; ñandú (Guaraní and Spanish); or ema (Portuguese). One of two species in the genus ""Rhea"", in the family Rheidae, the greater rhea is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It inhabits a variety of open areas, such as grasslands, savanna or grassy wetlands. Weighing , the greater rhea is the largest bird in South America. In the wild, the greater rhea has a life expectancy of 10.5"
"Aiolornis Aiolornis incredibilis (syn ""Teratornis incredibilis""), of the teratorn family, was the largest known North American flight-capable bird, with a wingspan of up to approximately and a huge, deep, powerful bill. The typical body mass of this bird was estimated to be , significantly heavier than any extant flying bird. ""A. incredibilis"" presumably became extinct at the same time as the other megafauna in North America. It is sometimes called the giant condor because of its resemblance to the modern condors of California and South America, although it is bigger and in a different family. It is not well known"
"Phorusrhacidae Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct clade of large carnivorous flightless birds that were the largest species of apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era; their temporal range covers from 62 to 1.8 million years (Ma) ago. They ranged in height from tall. Their closest modern-day relatives are believed to be the seriemas. ""Titanis walleri"", one of the larger species, is known from Texas and Florida in North America. This makes the phorusrhacids the only known large South American predator to migrate north in the Great American Interchange that followed the formation of the"
"Titanotylopus Titanotylopus is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivore the family Camelidae, endemic to North America from the Miocene through Pleistocene 10.3 mya—30,000 years ago, existing for approximately . Its name is derived from the Greek words Τιτάν, τύλος and πούς — ""Titan"", ""knob"" and ""foot""; thus, ""giant knobby-foot."" ""Titanotylopus"" is distinguished from other early large camelids by its large upper canines and other distinguishing dental characteristics, and absence of lacrimal vacuities in the skull. Unlike the smaller, contemporaneous ""Camelops"", ""Titanotylopus"" had relatively broad second phalanges, suggesting that it had true padded ""cameltoes,"" like modern camels. The species ""Titanotylopus spatulus"""
"of vegetation. The formation has provided a rich assemblage of mammals, among others the rodent ""Guiomys unica"" and the sparassodont ""Patagosmilus goini"" and reptiles, mainly snakes and tortoises. Kelenken Kelenken is a genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the extinct family Phorusrhacidae, or ""terror birds"". The type and only species is ""K. guillermoi"", first formally described in 2007 after the find in 1999. It is the largest member of the family. The genus is named after Kélenken, a demon in the mythology of the Tehuelche people. The species epithet refers to Guillermo Aguirre Zabala, who discovered the holotype fossil."
"gruiform and largest phorusrhacid or ""terror bird"" (highly predatory, flightless birds of South America) was ""Brontornis"", which was about tall at the shoulder, could raise its head above the ground and could have weighed as much as . The immense phorushacid ""Kelenken"" stood tall with a skull long ( of which was beak), had the largest head of any known bird. The largest North American phorusrhacid is ""Titanis"", which is about tall, as tall as a forest elephant. The largest-known bird of prey ever was the enormous Haast's eagle (""Harpagornis moorei""), with a wingspan of , relatively short for their"
"farming situations, but under optimum free-range conditions chicks will reach adult size by their fifth month. Greater rhea The greater rhea (""Rhea americana"") is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the grey, common, or American rhea; ñandú (Guaraní and Spanish); or ema (Portuguese). One of two species in the genus ""Rhea"", in the family Rheidae, the greater rhea is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It inhabits a variety of open areas, such as grasslands, savanna or grassy wetlands. Weighing , the greater rhea is the largest"
"Ornithoptera goliath Ornithoptera goliath, the Goliath birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly found in New Guinea. It is the second largest butterfly in the world, after the Queen Alexandra's birdwing. Both the specific and vernacular name are named after Goliath, the biblical giant famous for his combat with the young David, the future king of Israel. The subspecific names ""atlas"", ""titan"" and ""samson"" refer to other giants namely Atlas, Titan and Samson. ""Ornithoptera goliath"" is strongly sexually dimorphic. ""Ornithoptera goliath"" has a wingspan up to . This makes it the world's second largest butterfly. The African giant swallowtail reaches an almost"
"Aellopos titan Aellopos titan, the Titan sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. It has been found all the way from Maine in the United States through Central America and south to Argentina and Uruguay in South America. The wingspan is 55–65 mm. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The wings are dark brown and the upperside of the forewing has a black spot at the end of the cell and two bands of translucent white spots. The upperside of the hindwing"
"Great thrush The great thrush (""Turdus fuscater"") is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It is considered as the largest thrush in South America. The great thrush's size distinguishes it from the several other uniform slaty-colored thrushes in its range. It inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and high-altitude shrubland, but can also make use of degraded forest and urban areas. Seven subspecies are recognized: Adults are 28–30 cm in length and weigh 128-75 g, making the species the largest thrush in South America. It can be"
"years ago, but more precise dating by McFadden and colleagues refutes such a late date; all known ""Titanis"" fossils appear to be at least 2 million years old. ""Titanis"" was part of the group of giant flightless birds called the Phorusrhacidae, which are nicknamed ""terror birds"", and has been thought to represent the youngest species of the lineage (recently, a significantly younger South American example has been reported). The Phorusrhacidae originated in South America; ""Titanis"" is the only known member of the branch of the group that migrated out of that continent during the Great American Interchange. Studies of the"
"Gargantuavis Gargantuavis is a genus of extinct avialan stem-birds containing the single species Gargantuavis philoinos. ""G. philoinos"" lived during the late Cretaceous period in what is now southern France and northern Spain. Its fossils were discovered in several formations, which has been dated between 73.5 and 71.5 million years old. ""Gargantuavis"" is the largest known bird of the Mesozoic. The few known bones suggests a size between the cassowary and the ostrich. A study based on the circumference of the femur gives a mass of like modern ostriches. Given its mass ""Gargantuavis"" was probably flightless. Its femur shows that it"
"Black-tailed tityra The black-tailed tityra (""Tityra cayana"") is a medium-sized passerine bird of tropical South America. The tityras have been placed in the cotinga or the tyrant flycatcher families (Cotingidae and Tyrannidae) by various authors. But the weight of evidence strongly suggest they and their closest relatives are better separated as Tityridae; the AOU for example advocates this separation. In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the black-tailed tityra in his ""Ornithologie"" based on a specimen collected Cayenne in French Guiana. He used the French name ""La pie-griesche gris de Cayenne"" and the Latin ""Lanius"
"Ornimegalonyx The Cuban giant owl or giant cursorial owl (Ornimegalonyx) is an extinct genus of giant owl that measured in height. It is closely related to the many species of living owls of the genus ""Strix"". It was a flightless or nearly flightless bird and it is believed to be the largest owl that ever existed. It lived on the island of Cuba. The first fossil specimen was mistakenly described as a bird in the family Phorusrhacidae, in part because the bones were so large. In 1961, Pierce Brodkorb reviewed the findings and placed them properly, with the owls. Remains"
"Viti Levu giant pigeon The Viti Levu giant pigeon (""Natunaornis gigoura"") is an extinct flightless pigeon of Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji. It was only slightly smaller than the dodo (""Raphus cucullatus"") and Rodrigues solitaire (""Pezophaps solitaria"") and is the first giant, flightless pigeon to be discovered on a Pacific island. Remains of this species were discovered in Quaternary (probably Holocene) deposits in October 1998. Its first description was published in 2001. The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The generic name """"Natunaornis"""" is named after Natuna, the oldest chief"
"Great horned owl The great horned owl (""Bubo virginianus""), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the ""winged tiger"" or ""tiger of the air"") or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. Its primary diet is rabbits and hares, rats and mice, and voles, although it freely hunts any animal it can overtake, including rodents and other small mammals, larger mid-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. In ornithological"
"shiny. Aellopos titan Aellopos titan, the Titan sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. It has been found all the way from Maine in the United States through Central America and south to Argentina and Uruguay in South America. The wingspan is 55–65 mm. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The wings are dark brown and the upperside of the forewing has a black spot at the end of the cell and two bands of translucent white spots. The upperside of the"
"Geographic"" magazine, filling an entire page, but it was of a different species of beetle, possibly ""Macrodontia cervicornis"". The adults defend themselves by hissing in warning and biting, and have sharp spines, as well as strong jaws. It is known from the rain forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas, and north-central Brazil. Titan beetle The titan beetle (""Titanus giganteus"") is a neotropical longhorn beetle, the sole species in the genus Titanus, and one of the largest known beetles. The titan beetle is one of the largest beetles, with the largest reliable measured specimen being in length, comparable to"
"was probably an ambush predator that would pounce on unsuspecting prey with its crushing talons. Ornimegalonyx The Cuban giant owl or giant cursorial owl (Ornimegalonyx) is an extinct genus of giant owl that measured in height. It is closely related to the many species of living owls of the genus ""Strix"". It was a flightless or nearly flightless bird and it is believed to be the largest owl that ever existed. It lived on the island of Cuba. The first fossil specimen was mistakenly described as a bird in the family Phorusrhacidae, in part because the bones were so large."
"Kelenken Kelenken is a genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the extinct family Phorusrhacidae, or ""terror birds"". The type and only species is ""K. guillermoi"", first formally described in 2007 after the find in 1999. It is the largest member of the family. The genus is named after Kélenken, a demon in the mythology of the Tehuelche people. The species epithet refers to Guillermo Aguirre Zabala, who discovered the holotype fossil. A fossil of the genus was discovered in March 1999 by student Guillermo Oscar Aguirre Zabala and a friend, about from the train station of Comallo, a small"
"Bathornis Bathornis (""tall bird"") is an extinct lineage of birds related to modern day seriemas, that lived in North America about 37–20 million years ago. Like the closely related and also extinct phorusrhacids, it was a flightless predator, occupying predatory niches in environments classically considered to be dominated by mammals. It was a highly diverse and successful genus, spanning a large number of species that occurred from the Priabonian Eocene to the Burdigalian Miocene epochs. Though most material is highly incomplete, ""Bathornis"" is nonetheless known from a variety of skeletal elements: hindlimbs (most commonly tarso-metatarsals), forelimb elements (especially humeri), pelvises"
"Trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (""Cygnus buccinator"") is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl with a wingspan that may exceed . It is the American counterpart and a close relative of the whooper swan (""Cygnus cygnus"") of Eurasia, and even has been considered the same species by some authorities. By 1933, fewer than 70 wild trumpeters were known to exist, and extinction seemed imminent, until aerial surveys discovered a Pacific population of several thousand trumpeters around Alaska's Copper River. Careful reintroductions"
"considered a species of least concern by the IUCN. Black-tailed tityra The black-tailed tityra (""Tityra cayana"") is a medium-sized passerine bird of tropical South America. The tityras have been placed in the cotinga or the tyrant flycatcher families (Cotingidae and Tyrannidae) by various authors. But the weight of evidence strongly suggest they and their closest relatives are better separated as Tityridae; the AOU for example advocates this separation. In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the black-tailed tityra in his ""Ornithologie"" based on a specimen collected Cayenne in French Guiana. He used the French name"
"meriana"" and a split-banded owlet butterfly ""Opsiphanes cassina merianae"". The Cuban sphinx moth has been named ""Erinnyis merianae"". A bug with no common name has been named ""Plisthenes merianae"". A genus of mantises has been named ""Sibylla"". The bird-eating spider ""Avicularia merianae"" was named in her honour, referencing her research on spiders. The spider ""Metellina merianae"" was named after her in 2017. The Argentine black-and-white tegu lizard has been named ""Salvator merianae"". The cane toad was named ""Rhinella merianae"". A snail with no common name was named ""Coquandiella meriana"". The Madagascan African stonechat bird was given the name ""Saxicola torquatus"
"includes some of the most unusual creatures to inhabit North America – animals such as:""Geochelone"", a giant bathtub-sized tortoise; ""Aiolornis incredibilis"", the largest flying bird of the Northern Hemisphere, with 17-ft (5.2-m) wing span; ""Paramylodon"", ""Megalonyx"" and ""Nothrotheriops"", giant ground sloths, some with bony armor within their skin; ""Pewelagus"", a very small rabbit (paleontologists can name with a sense of humor); ""Borophagus"", a hyena-like dog; ""Acrtodus"", a giant short-faced bear; ""Smilodon"", a saber-toothed cat; ""Miracinonyx"", the North American cheetah; ""Mammuthus imperator"", the largest known mammoth; ""Tapirus"", an extinct tapir; ""Equus enormis"" and ""Equus scotti"", two species of extinct Pleistocene horses;"
"of Taubaté is exposed the almost complete skeleton of ""Paraphysornis"" found in 1982 by Herculano Alvarenga. Paraphysornis Paraphysornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or ""terror birds"" within the subfamily Brontornithinae that lived in Brazil. Its length was about and the skull had a length of . The only known species is Paraphysornis brasiliensis. Its height to the head was approximately and the skull had a length of . The terror bird was slightly smaller than ""Brontornis burmeisteri"", but larger than ""Phorusrhacos longissimus"". It lived around 23 million years ago and its fossils"
"Gondwanatitan Gondwanatitan (meaning ""giant from Gondwana"") was a titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur. ""Gondwanatitan"" was found in Brazil, at the time part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, in the late Cretaceous Period (70 mya). Like some other sauropods, ""Gondwanatitan"" was tall and ate tough shoots and leaves off of the tops of trees. ""G. faustoi""'s closest relative was ""Aeolosaurus"". The type species is ""Gondwanatitan faustoi"", formally described by Kellner and de Azevedo in 1999. ""Gondwanatitan"" means ""Gondwana Titan"", and is named after Gondwana, the supercontinent that the genus' South American range was once part of, and the Titans of classical Greek mythology."
"Greater thornbird The greater thornbird (""Phacellodomus ruber"") is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and heavily degraded former forest. The greater thornbird grows to a length of about . The sexes are similar, the upper parts being brown, with a rather more rufous colour on the crown, wings and tail. The underparts are whitish, the neck sometimes being scaled with a darker colour. The iris is yellow and any superciliary streak is inconspicuous. This thornbird is the largest member of"
"Great antshrike The great antshrike (""Taraba major"") is a passerine bird in the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. It is the only member of the genus Taraba. It is a resident breeder in the tropical New World in southern Mexico, Central America, Trinidad and South America down to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. The great antshrike was described by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1816 and given the binomial name ""Thamnophilus major"". The current genus ""Taraba"" was introduced by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831. There are ten recognised subspecies. The great antshrike is a large and distinctive antbird, typically"