Re: Big birds on Paleoworld

[pwillis@ozemail.com.au (Paul Willis)]

>Someone mentioned Argentavus form South America.  I was wondering if any
>of you know the name of the large eagle from Australia?  They found it's
>remains in a cave along with some large flightless birds.  I don't
>remember what show I saw this on.  Supposedly the flightless birds fell
>in these big holes and somehow the eagle did too.  Any help would be
>appreciated.
>


There is a pers comm in _Vertebrate Palaeontology of Australiasia_  that
mentions a Pleistocene eagle from the southern part of the continent that
exceeded the modern Wedge-tailed Eagle (_Aquila audax_) in size. The Wedgie
often reaches windspans in excess of two metres. Further on there is
mention of two such giant eagles; one from Mair's Cave, South Australia, is
represented by a sternum, distal phalanx and the proximal end of a
tibiotarsus, the other from Green Waterhole Cave is represented by humeri,
ulnae and carpometacarpi. Both animals are new to science and currently
undescribed.

You may be thinking of the giant eagle _Harpagornis_ from New Zealand. The
only dimensions I can find at hand are females in excess of 13 kg in weight
and both sexes being considerably larger than the largest modern eagles
(the Harpy Eagle of South America).

Cheers, Paul

pwillis@ozemail.com.au