elephant bird
noun
: any of a group (genus Aepyornis or order Aepyornithiformes) of gigantic flightless ratite birds known only from remains found in Madagascar
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The great auk of the North Atlantic, the moa of New Zealand, the elephant bird of Madagascar, and the Réunion ibis of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean all perished shortly after the humans entered the picture.
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Ten-foot-tall elephant birds strutted across Madagascar until a thousand years ago.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
But elephant birds, who lived more than 1,200 years ago, were likely the biggest birds to ever exist at over 1,500 pounds.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024
As settlers expanded their footprint into Madagascar, the elephant bird's habitat began to shrink.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Ten-foot-tall elephant birds strutted across Madagascar until a thousand years ago.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
But elephant birds, who lived more than 1,200 years ago, were likely the biggest birds to ever exist at over 1,500 pounds.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024
As settlers expanded their footprint into Madagascar, the elephant bird's habitat began to shrink.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for elephant bird
Cite this Entry
“Elephant bird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant%20bird. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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