Tag Archives: Aepyornithidae

Vorombe titan (Andrews)

Giant Elephant Bird (Vorombe titan)

The Giant Elephant Bird was originally described in 1894, however, the whole elephant bird family was in urgent need of a proper revision, which indeed took place in 2018 and which lead to a reduction of the number of species and the description of a completely new genus for the largest of the species. [1]

The species must have reached a size of 3 m and must have weighted up to 730 kg, making it the heaviest known bird, dead or alive.

The Giant Elephant Bird died out shortly after the arrival of humans on the island of Madagascar, most likely due to habitat destruction and overhunting.

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References:

[1] James P. Hansford; Samuel T. Turvey: Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae) and a new identity for the world’s largest bird. Royal Society Open Science 5(9): 1-28. 2018

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edited: 22.01.2022

Aepyornis hildebrandti Burckhardt

Hildebrandt’s Elephant Bird (Aepyornis hildebrandti)

Hildebrandt’s Elephant bird was described in 1893 based on subfossil bones, several forms originally described as distinct are now included in this species as synonyms, the material of one of them, Aepyornis mulleri Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, however, is now lost.

The species was somewhat smaller than the Large Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire). 

Hildebrandt’s Elephant bird is one of only two species within its genus that still are accepted after a revision in 2018. [1]

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source:

[1] James P. Hansford; Samuel T. Turvey: Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae) and a new identity fort he world’s largest birds. Royal Society Open Science, 2018; 5(9): 181295 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181295

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edited:

27.09.2018