Editing Elephant bird (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Giantbirds.png|thumb|left|Size of ''Aepyornis maximus'' (center, in purple) compared to a human, a common ostrich (''Struthio camelus,'' second from right, in maroon), and several non-avian [[theropod]] [[dinosaur]]s. Grid spacings are 1.0 m.]]Elephant birds were large sized birds (the largest reaching {{Convert|3|m|ft}} tall in normal standing posture) that had vestigial wings, long legs and necks, with small heads relative to body size, which bore straight, thick conical beaks that were not hooked. The tops of elephant bird skulls display punctuated marks, which may have been attachment sites for fleshy structures or head feathers.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Angst |first1=Delphine |title=Aepyornithiformes |date=2017 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9781785481369500039 |work=Palaeobiology of Extinct Giant Flightless Birds |pages=65–94 |access-date=2023-05-02 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-1-78548-136-9.50003-9 |isbn=978-1-78548-136-9 |last2=Buffetaut |first2=Eric|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''Mullerornis'' is the smallest of the elephant birds, with a body mass of around {{Convert|80|kg|lb}},<ref name="Molecular exploration of fossil eggshell uncovers hidden lineage of giant extinct bird" /> with its skeleton much less robustly built than ''Aepyornis''.<ref name=":1" /> ''A. hildebrandti'' is thought to have had a body mass of around {{Convert|230-285|kg|lb}}.<ref name="Molecular exploration of fossil eggshell uncovers hidden lineage of giant extinct bird" /> Estimates of the body mass of ''Aepyornis maximus'' span from around {{Convert|275|kg|lb}}<ref name="Extinct Birds">{{cite book
| last1 = Hume
| first1 = J. P.
| first2 = M.
| last2 = Walters
|year= 2012
|title= Extinct Birds
|publisher= A & C Black
|location= London
|pages= 19–21
|isbn=978-1-4081-5725-1}}</ref> to {{Convert|700-1000|kg|lb}}<ref name="Molecular exploration of fossil eggshell uncovers hidden lineage of giant extinct bird" /> making it one of the largest birds ever, alongside ''[[Dromornis stirtoni]]'' and ''[[Pachystruthio dmanisensis]]''.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Handley |first1=Warren D. |last2=Chinsamy |first2=Anusuya |last3=Yates |first3=Adam M. |last4=Worthy |first4=Trevor H. |date=2016-09-02 |title=Sexual dimorphism in the late Miocene mihirung Dromornis stirtoni (Aves: Dromornithidae) from the Alcoota Local Fauna of central Australia |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2016.1180298 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=36 |issue=5 |pages=e1180298 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2016.1180298 |bibcode=2016JVPal..36E0298H |s2cid=88784039 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zelenkov |first1=Nikita V. |last2=Lavrov |first2=Alexander V. |last3=Startsev |first3=Dmitry B. |last4=Vislobokova |first4=Innessa A. |last5=Lopatin |first5=Alexey V. |date=2019-03-04 |title=A giant early Pleistocene bird from eastern Europe: unexpected component of terrestrial faunas at the time of early Homo arrival |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2019.1605521 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=e1605521 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2019.1605521 |bibcode=2019JVPal..39E5521Z |s2cid=198384367 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Females of ''A. maximus'' are suggested to have been larger than the males, as is observed in other ratites.<ref name="Molecular exploration of fossil eggshell uncovers hidden lineage of giant extinct bird" />