'''Aiolornis incredibilis''' (formerly ''Teratornis incredibilis''), the 'Incredible Teratorn', of the
teratorn family, was the largest known
North American flight-capable bird, with a wingspan of up to 16 to 17 feet (about 5 meters) and a huge, deep, powerful bill. ''A. incredibilis'' presumably became extinct at the same time as the other
megafauna in North America. It is sometimes called 'Giant Condor' because of its resemblance to the modern-day smaller
condors of
California and
South America, although it is not closely related. It is not well-known but is quite similar to ''
Teratornis merriami'', although about 40% larger overall. Fossils have been found from the Early
Pliocene to the
Late Pleistocene in various locales in the southwestern and western-central part of the USA; it is not certain that all belong to the same species given the large time range and the scrappiness of the remains.
References
★ 'Campbell', Kenneth E. Jr.; Scott, E. & Springer, K. B. (1999) A new genus for the Incredible Teratorn (Aves: Teratornithidae). ''Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology'' '89': 169–175.
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★ 'Howard', Hildegarde (1952): The prehistoric avifauna of Smith Creek Cave, Nevada, with a description of a new gigantic raptor. ''Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci.'' '51': 50-54