Phorusrhacos

extinct birds · predators · South America · Miocene

Massive hunting bird. Phorusrhacos was a huge, flightless bird that lived in Argentina during the Early to Middle Miocene epoch, between roughly 23 and 11 million years ago. It was built like a powerful predator, built for hunting.

Confusing first discovery. The first fossil of Phorusrhacos was just a jawbone fragment found in 1887 in Argentina. At first, scientists thought it came from a giant sloth, but in 1891 a naturalist named Francisco Moreno figured out it was actually from a bird, not a mammal.

Found in Santa Cruz. All the fossils of Phorusrhacos have been discovered in southern Argentina, especially in rocks called the Santa Cruz Formation. This tells us the bird lived in that region millions of years ago when the climate and landscape were very different.

No teeth, sharp beak. Like all modern birds, Phorusrhacos had no teeth but instead had a powerful beak. This huge beak would have been perfect for catching and eating prey, making it one of the fiercest hunters of its time.