Andalgalornis (SciiFii)

The slender terror bird (Andalgalornis alexandra) is a species of flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae that originally lived in Argentina during the Late Miocene as an extinct species, Andalgalornis steulleti, and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across South America to help boost biodiversity. The slender terror bird stands around 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall on average. The subfamily to which the slender terror bird belongs, the Patagornithinae, contains species that are of quite slender build; it looks very similar to the larger phorusrhacid Phorusrhacos, but it is more elegant and smaller and has a proportionally higher beak, the most massive in proportion to body size of all phorusrhacids. The beak of the slender terror bird recent is strong dorsoventrally (in the vertical plane) but relatively weak mediolaterally on either side. The beak's weakness prevents the slender terror bird from taking down large prey, but consumes smaller, more easily manageable prey that can be killed with weak bite forces. However, the beak's dorsoventral strength also enables the slender terror bird to quickly strike down on and slash its prey in a hunting strategy that involves a series of repeated blows. This is analogous to the feeding behavior of other weak-biting dinosaurian and mammalian predators such as Smilodon and Allosaurus, which also rely on vertical striking to kill large and dangerous prey. The slender terror bird is built for striking its prey, thanks to its neck design and beak shape. The slender terror bird is a social animal compared with most terror birds, living in flocks consisting of up to around 7 individuals at a time. The conservation status of the slender terror bird is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the slender terror bird's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii