Ichthyornis

prehistoric birds · Late Cretaceous · ancient oceans · extinct

Sharp teeth hunter. Unlike modern birds, Ichthyornis had real teeth in its beak, which it used to catch slippery fish in the ancient Western Interior Seaway that covered much of North America.

Ocean-living bird. This seabird lived around 100 to 80 million years ago, diving and swimming in shallow seas where many strange creatures thrived during the age of dinosaurs.

Lots of fossils found. Scientists have discovered many Ichthyornis skeletons in the chalk rocks of places like Kansas and Alberta, making it one of the most common fossils from that time period.

Expert fish catcher. Ichthyornis was built for hunting, with wings shaped for diving into the water and teeth perfectly designed to grip wiggly fish.

Surprisingly small. Despite being a fierce hunter, Ichthyornis was about the size of a modern tern or small gull, not a huge flying monster.