List of Elephant Birds

List Of Elephant Birds

Elephant birds were a family of large to enormous, flightless birds that once lived on the island of Madagascar, which lies about 320 km (200 mi) off the southeast coast of Africa. They became extinct, probably in the 17th or 18th century, for reasons that are unclear, although human activity is the suspected cause. Elephant birds comprised the genera Mullerornis and Aepyornis. Aepyornis was among the heaviest of birds. (The extinct Dromornis stirtoni of Australia reached a similar weight).

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