Re: Big birds on Paleoworld

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Mon, 8 Jan 1996, Ronald Orenstein wrote:

> >
> >Someone mentioned Argentavus form South America.  I was wondering if any 
> >of you know the name of the large eagle from Australia?  They found it's 
> >remains in a cave along with some large flightless birds.  I don't 
> >remember what show I saw this on.  Supposedly the flightless birds fell 
> >in these big holes and somehow the eagle did too.  Any help would be 
> >appreciated.
> 
> Are you thinking of Harpagornis moorei, the giant eagle from New Zealand?
> This was a Pleistocene/Holocene form.  One of the three known skeletons was
> found in a cave in 1989 (cf Brian Gill, New Zealand's Extinct Birds, Random
> Century 1991); the largest, a presumed female, had a wingspan estimated at
> nearly 3m and weighed an estimated 10-13kg.  The species may have preyed on
> moas, and may have survived until c. 500 years ago.
> 
> BTW Argentavus is not an eagle but a teratorn; recent work suggests that the
> view of teratorns as oversize vultures may be incorrect, though what they
> were really doing I am not sure.
> --
> Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
> International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home)
> Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court                  Messages: (416) 368-4661
> Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          Internet: ornstn@inforamp.net
> Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940    
> Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5             
> 
> 

What about the idea that teratorns, condors, and other new world vultures 
are actually related to storks?  BTW, do herons fit here as well?  Can 
anyone give me a good ref for an updated, in-depth bird classification?