The largest eagle ever was Haast’s eagle (Hieraaetus moorei), an extinct raptor that cast terror-inducing shadows over New Zealand’s South Island up until its extinction in 1445. This 18kg monster ...

Holly has a degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. Her scientific interests include genomics, personalized medicine, and bioethics.View full profile Holly has a degree in ...

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This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Modern-day eagles are large birds, but they’re nowhere near ...

In a land without lions, wolves, or even snakes, the apex predator of this realm once had feathers. Before the first Polynesian settlers stepped onto New Zealand’s shores some 750 years ago, the ...

For centuries, hooded vultures in West Africa have lived in close association with people in towns and cities. The vultures’ dependence on scraps thrown out has grown in line with the overhunting of ...

For decades, scientists believed cool temperate rainforests were fragile ecosystems easily damaged by disturbances like fires or logging. But new research from the University of Melbourne challenges ...

Explore the real-life inspirations behind legendary creatures like mermaids, Kraken, Pouakai, dragons, unicorns, and Roc. These mythical beings may have roots in actual animals like manatees, giant ...

For a very long time, New Zealand has been referred to as a place for the birds. The archipelago had a unique environment with almost no mammals before humans arrived 700 years ago. A separate food ...