Re: [dinosaur] *Heracles inexpectatus*, giant parrot from the Miocene of NZ

[Ronald ORENSTEIN <ron.orenstein@rogers.com>]

An interesting analogy might be with the giant fossil Nukupu'u Hemignathus vorpalis, which also had a proportionately larger beak than its smaller, recently extinct relative (https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.researchgate.net/publication/282721647_A_giant_new_species_of_nukupuu_Fringillidae_Drepanidini_Hemignathus_from_the_Island_of_Hawaii/amp). 

Ronald Orenstein 1825 Shady Creek Court Mississauga, ON L5L 3W2 Canada ronorenstein.blogspot.com

On Aug 8, 2019, 4:12 PM +0800, Tim Williams <tijawi@gmail.com>, wrote:

Ronald Orenstein <ron.orenstein@rogers.com> wrote:

I note your point about Strigopids, but I still think something more like a supersized version of a Kea or Kaka beak, perhaps with a massive hook that could be used in digging, would be more likely. Again, the trend to larger bills with increased
size is widespread in parrots; you can see it within genera such as Psittacula and Tanygnathus.

You may well be correct! Personally, I think _Heracles_ as a
big-headed, big-beaked dodo analog would be the most interesting
outcome. :-)

We need more fossils!

Definitely - and especially true of the St Bathans Fauna. As well as
more material of _Heracles_ (such as a skull and wings), more of
_Proapteryx_ would be handy (to determine if it was volant), as well
as more of the unnamed St Bathans non-therian mammal. Just for
starters.... :-)