The 2200 Pound Lady Birds of Madagascar

A massive but surprisingly dainty “elephant bird” once wandered Madagascar, according to a new study that hands the title of largest-ever bird to a new species. The winner? Aepyornis maximus, which lived more than 1,200 years ago on the island of Madagascar and wielded a raptor-like beak and impressive talons, though it probably ate mostly plants and the occasional small lizard.The largest elephant birds stood about 9 feet tall and weighed up to 2200 pounds, about as much as a small