Titanis, the "Titan," was named for
giant Greek gods that preceded the 
Olympians; a fitting title for a
bird this immense. Titanis stood at
just under two meters tall, taller
than the average human but shorter
than other "terror birds" like its
relative Phorusrhacos. However,
despite its "small" stature, Titanis
was more heavily built, with a 
shorter but thicker neck. It was 
made for speed; its two long, 
muscular legs more than made up for
the fact that it was completely
flightless. In fact, it had the
smallest of any phorusrhacid, but
that didn't stop it from being a 
fearsome predator.

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.
