crystal palace

'terror bird'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/18/terror-bird-andalgalornis-steulleti

A flightless meat-eating bird that stalked South America 6m years ago overcame its prey by pecking the creatures to death with its huge skull and hooked beak, researchers say.

The bird, which resembled an emu, landed precision jabs on its victims, before withdrawing to a safe distance then attacking once more. Once its prey was dead, Andalgalornis steulleti, a species in the phorusrhacidae family or "terror birds", moved in and swallowed its victim whole or used its beak to tear morsels of flesh from the carcass.

daikan-yama, convwertible