When Birds Ruled the Earth

A bird known as Titanis walleri made its home in Florida just a few million years ago. Titanis, as its name suggests, was titanic indeed—a flightless predator, ten feet tall, with a massive hooked bill. Titanis and other birds related to it belong to a group some paleontologists call the “terror birds.” They were dominant land predators in South America for tens of millions of years. For more about Titanis walleri, visit the Hall of Florida Fossils.

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