Titanis, the "Titan," was named for
giant Greek gods that preceded the 
Olympians; a fitting title for a
bird this immense. Titanis stood at
nearly two meters tall and was
heavily built compared to some
other "terror birds" such as its 
relative phorusrhacos. It was made 
for speed; its two long, muscular 
legs could carry it as fast as 65 
km/h. Its incredible speeds more 
than made up for the fact that it 
was completely flightless.

Titanis lived in North America for 
over three million years, lasting 
from the Blancan to the Gelasian 
stage of the Pleistocene epoch. It 
is the only known terror bird to 
leave South America, migrating north
to roam the plains of North America.
Likely a carnivore, titanis was 
always in search of prey. It was a 
devastating hunter; some experts 
theorize that it used its powerful
head to smash small prey on the 
ground until they died, similar to 
how seriemas kill their prey. For 
larger prey, it's axe-like beak had
the potential to viciously rip apart
chunks of flesh.
