Gastornis

[Tyrannax]

Here is a recent drawing of mine

[tomhet]

tyrannax, would you mind keeping your art in a single thread? That would make easier for us to find your paleo art

[Tyrannax]

You Got it!

[crazycrowman]

Looks very nice! There is not enough Terror bird art out there! ;D

For a visual guide about a modern bird that is thought to be one of the closest living relatives of the terror birds, here are a few photos of the Red-legged Seriema. (Just figured it may give you ideas for how to work with feathers in different ways in the future, and other such details ?) (Even though, Gastornis was rather different from the NA terror bird species that the Seriamas are related to)






Notice the raised sickle claw on the inner toe.

[Dinotoyforum]

Is it known if the raised claw has a specific function in the Red-Legged Seriema?

[crazycrowman]

Prepping Dinner ! :-) Prey is held in the beak and the leg is lifted, while the bird kicks out. The enlarged talon is used to finish it off or tear open a meal that is difficult to get inside. They like to beat their prey as well as a primary way of killing smaller animals, similar to a secretary bird. The do use the toes though, and I have seen what a hungry Seriama can do to a frozen thawed chicken, as one of my falconer/edu friends has one.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkieBwXlVpU
Here is one that has been trained to beat up a plastic lizard (part of how they would kill prey in the wild) for rewards.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAZ_s4FQptI
This one does a similar behavior for some meat.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrd6ULTZEFo
They are VERY fast runners.




Many birds that kill with their feet have an enlarged inner claw, used for delivering the "coup de grace". Hawk feet, Eagle Feet, Seriama feet, even passerine feet (Look at Brahm the ravens talons in the little picture that is at the bottom of my reply, and you can see the inner talon is thicker and larger then the others)


Cassowaries like this Double-wattled, have taken the inner foot claw in a slightly different direction, and for them is strictly about defense/territory. (Kind of like the spurs on a game fowl) not hunting. They are generally herbivores/frugivores, but sometimes eat small animals as well that they swallow whole or kill with a flick of the head. Cassowaries on the defensive though, have no problem gutting a dog with a kick or 2, and have even been rumored to have killed small horses The will swing their head crest as a defense as well.


This northern is sitting at a great angle to see the structure of its feet.

[Dinotoyforum]

/\ thanks Crazy

[crazycrowman]

Always glad to talk about birds :-)

[Tyrannax]

Aug 26, 2008 10:47:06 GMT crazycrowman said:

Looks very nice! There is not enough Terror bird art out there! ;D

For a visual guide about a modern bird that is thought to be one of the closest living relatives of the terror birds, here are a few photos of the Red-legged Seriema. (Just figured it may give you ideas for how to work with feathers in different ways in the future, and other such details ?) (Even though, Gastornis was rather different from the NA terror bird species that the Seriamas are related to)






Notice the raised sickle claw on the inner toe.

Probably used that speed to run down the ancestors of horses...and killed them with there massive feet and beak?

[crazycrowman]

Indeed, Gastornis possibly spent its time plastering primitive paleocene ponies into pate'

[Tyrannax]

Yeah, Gastornis is awesome, dinosaur or not

[thagomizer]

Aug 26, 2008 10:47:06 GMT crazycrowman said:

Looks very nice! There is not enough Terror bird art out there! ;D

For a visual guide about a modern bird that is thought to be one of the closest living relatives of the terror birds, here are a few photos of the Red-legged Seriema. (Just figured it may give you ideas for how to work with feathers in different ways in the future, and other such details ?) (Even though, Gastornis was rather different from the NA terror bird species that the Seriamas are related to) .

Nitpick: Gastornis isn't particularly closely related to phorusrhachids so it's not really right to call it a terror bird. It's probably more closely related to the demon ducks.
scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/06/2007_year_of_terror_birds.php

[ziro]

Thagomizer, stop being such a pedant. Terror bird is not a scientific term, is it?

[crazycrowman]

"Nitpick: Gastornis isn't particularly closely related to phorusrhachids so it's not really right to call it a terror bird. It's probably more closely related to the demon ducks."

Thanks . I have read that article before.

I did say in the initial posting with the images that Gastornis was rather different from the NA "Terror bird" species that the Seriamas are thought to be related to (which are the Phorusrhachids).

I was actually under the impression that the term "Terror bird" was just a generic term for any of the big flightless predatory birds regardless of species/relation, and was using the term that way. I have used it that way for a while, highlighting the 2 groups as different (the Phorusrhachids and what I had called the old world terror birds), but calling them all types of "Terror Bird" *embarrassed*

I take it I should start referring to Gastornis either just as Gastornis or as a "mega duck" then ?

[Tyrannax]

Your mega duck is no match for my mega-chicken!

My next drawing - Phorusrhacos...I've always wondered who would win in a fight phoro or gastornis.....

Hey did any of you know that the most well preserved phorusrhacos was found in a flooded cave found in Florida? Only scuba-divers can get to it now

[thagomizer]

Aug 27, 2008 4:05:54 GMT crazycrowman said:

"Nitpick: Gastornis isn't particularly closely related to phorusrhachids so it's not really right to call it a terror bird. It's probably more closely related to the demon ducks."

Thanks . I have read that article before.

I did say in the initial posting with the images that Gastornis was rather different from the NA "Terror bird" species that the Seriamas are thought to be related to (which are the Phorusrhachids).

I was actually under the impression that the term "Terror bird" was just a generic term for any of the big flightless predatory birds regardless of species/relation, and was using the term that way. I have used it that way for a while, highlighting the 2 groups as different (the Phorusrhachids and what I had called the old world terror birds), but calling them all types of "Terror Bird" *embarrassed*

I take it I should start referring to Gastornis either just as Gastornis or as a "mega duck" then ?

Doesn't really matter what you call it in general, but "terror bird" has come to mean phorusrhacid specifically, at least as far as I know. Mega duck or demon duck is a loose term but that's also pretty closely associated with mihirungs. So...? Maybe we need to make up a new common name for Gastornithids

[Tyrannax]

Got it! We will call it Mega-Chicken! I decree that anyone who is referring to gastornis will now have to call it mega-chicken. -writes down on thagomizers head- Remember this!

[crazycrowman]

"but "terror bird" has come to mean phorusrhacid specifically, at least as far as I know."

I will steer away from using it as a general term then. One of the programs we do with birds we talk about "Terror birds", and I have always just used the term broadly like that.

Instead of Mega chickens....I am probably going to stick with "Demon Ducks", as its along the right lines, and kids/young adults should be able to understand that well enough. I know I don't wan't them allying them with being giant Galliformes !

[Tyrannax]

I don't like the term "Demon ducks". It makes Gastronis sound like a flesh ripping devil bird from hell, when really it was just a dromeosaur descendant with some cool adaptations that allowed it to be a quick and powerful killer.

[thagomizer]

Aug 27, 2008 15:24:51 GMT Tyrannax said:

I don't like the term "Demon ducks". It makes Gastronis sound like a flesh ripping devil bird from hell, when really it was just a dromeosaur descendant with some cool adaptations that allowed it to be a quick and powerful killer.

A more neutral common name for "demon ducks of doom" is mihirung, but that usually only applies to the Australian dromornithids (it's an aboriginal Australian word for legendary giant carnivorous emus). Seeing as how they migt be close relatives though it's not as big a deal applying mihirung to Gastornis as it would be terror bird, which are unrelated.

(And you're right, especially since it may not have been flesh ripping at all--some papers argue it was an herbivore!)