Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime by MURRAY, Peter F.; VICKERS-RICH, Patricia - 2004

Indiana University Press, 2004. Hardcover. New/New. Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds, among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived, the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. Magnificent Mihirungs is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.