The Terror Bird Was A Bone-Smashing Beast That Once Roamed The Americas

If you could transport yourself back to prehistoric earth, you would find many frightening animals sharing the land with you. Many of them are now extinct, including the Phorusrhacidae, which was a fierce bird that was nicknamed ‘terror birds’. PBS Eons reported on these avian monsters in the video below.

Phorusrhacidae were large birds, although they were flightless and they walked around the earth during the early Cretaceous Period for some 60 million years. It is thought that there were about 25 different species of these birds, many of which were probably scavengers but others that may have had an interest in eating meat.

The reason why it is thought that those avian terrors must have enjoyed meat is because of their sharp beaks that allowed them to rip flesh from the bone. They also had curved claws that could be used for stabbing. The skeletons also proved to be a formidable weapon, including powerful legs that could break bones. If that wasn’t frightening enough, experts also think that they may have lifted up their prey and repeatedly smashed them against the ground.

The Titanis walleri was among the largest species that once could be found in the coastal plains of what today is Texas and Florida. They were able to cross a land bridge from South America approximately 5 million years ago. You can learn more about the terror birds, why they came to America and why they went extinct in the following video: