Story: Extinctions

The demon duck of doom

The demon duck of doom

Bullockornis, nicknamed the ‘demon duck of doom’, was a huge flightless bird, now extinct, that lived in Australia. Larger specimens may have stood about 2.5 metres tall, and weighed up to 500 kilograms. Features of its skull, including a large beak, suggest that it may have been carnivorous, although here it is eating fruit.

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Oil painting by Peter Trusler

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How to cite this page:

Richard Holdaway, 'Extinctions - Extinctions in the human era', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/13654/the-demon-duck-of-doom (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Richard Holdaway, published 24 Sep 2007