…a giant, flightless, bird, for sure. But what kind? Mike Dickison attempts to answer the eternal question “What, if Anything, is Big Bird?“
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
Big Bird is certainly one of the extinct Moa from New Zealand. If one of these birds were yellow, he could be Big Bird’s twin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OtagoMuseumMoa.jpg
The Moa was (or is if you’re a fan of Skunk apes, etc.) a vegetarian, so it would be safe to invite him to Sesame Street! I enjoy your blog!
Have to disagree, Ann. Moa were completely wingless–the only Recent birds with no wing bones at all. Whereas Big Bird can pick things up. Which takes some pretty amazing wing development. So I feel your hypothesis is not as plausible.