Haast’s eagles preyed on large, flightless bird species. This large bird lived in the South Island of New Zealand and became extinct around 1400 CE. Fuller in a location that was a former marsh. The species was the largest eagle known to have existed even in those times. In length and weight, Haast’s eagle was larger than the largest living vultures. Haast’s eagle was first described by Julius von Haast in 1871 from remains discovered by F. Image Source: Haast’s eagles were one of the largest known true raptors. Its skull structure suggests that it ate most of its prey whole rather than tearing off the flesh into pieces. When hunting actively, Argentavis swooped from high above down onto their prey, grabbed, killed, and swallowed it without landing. Argentavis had a large slender bill with a hooked tip and a wide gape. It is possible that it usually chased other carnivores and consumed their kills. It was more of a scavenger than a predator. Fossils of this extinct species have been obtained mainly from central and northwestern Argentina.Īrgentavis lived and searched for food in territories measuring probably more than 500 square kilometers. Also known as the “giant teratorn”, Argentavis had an estimated wingspan of 16.7–19.9 feet. Image Source: Wangyonglee/Wikimedia Commonsīefore the discovery of Pelagornis sandersi, Argentavis magnificens was hailed as the largest flying bird to have ever existed. Note: The picture is just for representation purpose to compare the size of Argentavis magnificens with a human. ( 1, 2) 2 Argentavis – one of the biggest prehistoric birds, wingspan 16.7 – 19.9 feet They were conical and pointed and were used to pierce the body of the prey which consisted primarily of fish and squid. These spikes, also known as pseudo-teeth, lined their upper and lower jaw. To catch its prey, Pelagornis sandersi possessed a beak with bizarre, tooth-like spikes.

Its long, slender wings helped it stay aloft despite its enormous size. This extinct seabird was an apex predator and used to fly over the ocean to catch its prey. It had an estimated wingspan of twenty to twenty-four feet which is more than twice the size of the largest living, flying bird. The fossil was first unearthed in 1983 near Charleston, South Carolina. It was named Pelagornis sandersi in honor of retired Charleston Museum curator, Albert Sanders, who led the team that did the fossil’s excavation. Pelagornis sandersi was the largest flying bird known to have lived on Earth.

North american birds of prey list