Episode 240 - Terror Birds

Episode 240 - Terror Birds

From The Common Descent Podcast by Common Descent

March 29, 2026 · 2h 42m · Episode 362

About this episode

This episode explores the unique characteristics and diversity of terror birds, a group of large predatory birds from South America during the Cenozoic Era.

For most of the Cenozoic Era, South America was home to an incredible group of predatory birds called phorusrhacids, which included some of the largest carnivorous birds of all time. With their giant axe-like beaks and powerful clawed legs, these giants have gained the nickname “terror birds.” This episode, we explore what makes these birds unique, how they varied across their diversity, and what exactly they were doing with all those terrifying tools. In the news: a bitten plesiosaur, wildflower adaptation, a new croc, and dinosaur parents. Time markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:06:25Main discussion, Part 1: 00:51:30Main discussion, Part 2: 01:29:30Patron question: 02:30:05 Some helpful links mentioned in the Announcements:The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ The National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/ Pal Humanity: https://chuffed.org/project/122818-support-north-gaza-rebuilding-lives-restoring-hope-with-pal-humanity?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and…

People in this episode

Host: Common Descent

Topics covered

  • phorusrhacids
  • terror birds
  • Cenozoic Era
  • predatory birds
  • dinosaur parents
  • wildflower adaptation

Keywords

  • terror birds
  • phorusrhacids
  • Cenozoic Era
  • predatory birds
  • dinosaur parents
  • wildflower adaptation
  • plesiosaur
  • croc

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Trevor Project, The National Immigrant Justice Center, Pal Humanity

Books & works: On the Origin of Species

Places: South America

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