Aiornis incredibilis (formerly Teratornis incredibilis), the Incredible Teratorn, was the largest known North American flight-capable bird, with a wingspan of 5.5 meters (16 or 17 feet) and a huge, deep, powerful bill. A. incredibilis presumably became extinct at the same time as the other megafauna in North America. It is sometimes called Giant Condor because of its resemblance to the modern-day smaller condors of California and South America (although it is not closely related). It is fairly poorly known and quite similar to Teratornis merriami, although about 40% larger overall. Fossils have been found from the Early Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene in various locales in the southwestern and western-central part of the USA; it is not certain that all belong to the same species given the large time range.

References

• Howard, Hildegarde (1952): The prehistoric avifauna of Smith Creek Cave, Nevada, with a description of a new gigantic raptor. Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 51: 50-54

genera of birds | Prehistoric birds | teratornithidae