<p><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/01/05/the-extinct-jamaican-bird-whose-wings-were-like-shillelaghs/ninjabird/" title=""></a></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><figure class="fr-image-container fr-full"><img srcset="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/18334/NinjaBird-s.webp 480w, https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/18334/NinjaBird-m.webp 660w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 480px, 660px" src="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/18334/NinjaBird-s.jpg" title="NinjaBird.jpg" loading="lazy" data-id="18334"><figcaption class="fr-figcaption"><p class="fr-caption"></p></figcaption></figure><p>No, the large ibis that lived in Jamaica millions of years ago couldn't fly. But it could probably bash you to death. Researchers studying <em>Xenicibis xympithecus </em><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.2117" title="">now believe</a> the bird's peculiar wing structure, which confused them for decades, was ideally formed to be used as a club. <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/01/04/xenicibis-the-extinct-ibis-that-swung-its-wings-like-clubs/" title="">From Ed Yong</a>: </p><p><em>Xenicibis </em>is a large, extinct, flightless <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibis" title="">ibis</a>. It was discovered by <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/01/04/xenicibis-the-extinct-ibis-that-swung-its-wings-like-clubs/Storrs%20Olson" title="">Storrs Olson</a> from the Smithsonian Institution, who found some partial remains in a Jamaican cave in 1977. When Olson eventually saw the bird’s wing bones, he was baffled. They were so “utterly strange” that he thought the animal must have been suffering from some inexplicable disease.</p><div data-embedid="dcfb67aa-fdf4-4a19-b4c7-75c497a8de9c" id="insticator-embed-temp"></div><p>Since then, Olson has found more remains including an almost complete skeleton. Now, he and his partner <a href="http://geology.yale.edu/people/moreinfo.cgi?netid=nl262" title="">Nicholas Longrich</a> from Yale University, have a very different view of the wing. They think it was a club. Weapons like clubs and bats have large weighted ends to deliver heavy impacts, and long handles to increase the speed of the swing. That’s exactly what you see in <em>Xenicibis</em>’s wing.</p><p> For more about the these birds and their weapons of mass pummeling (and why they may have evolved this way), <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/01/04/xenicibis-the-extinct-ibis-that-swung-its-wings-like-clubs/" title="">check out the rest of the post at Not Exactly Rocket Science</a></p><p>. Related Content: Discoblog: <a href="/planet-earth/i-cant-fly-birds-lost-their-aerial-abilities-multiple-times" title="">I Can’t Fly! Birds Lost Their Aerial Abilities Multiple Times</a></p><p> Not Exactly Rocket Science: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/01/04/2010/05/13/first-birds-were-poor-fliers-flaps-would-have-broken-archaeopteryx-feathers/" title="">First birds were poor fliers – flaps would have buckled Archaeopteryx feathers</a></p><p> DISCOVER: <a href="/planet-earth/tuxedo-junction" title="">Tuxedo Junction</a></p><p>—speaking of weird flightless birds, read Mary Roach's feature on the migration of Patagonian penguins <em>Image: Proceedings of the Royal Society B</em></p>

Discover the extinct Jamaican bird, Xenicibis xympithecus, whose flightless wings were weaponized like clubs for protection.

Planet Earth

The Extinct Flightless Bird Whose Wings Were Like Shillelaghs

Article

News

Andrew Moseman

Science

No, the large ibis that lived in Jamaica millions of years ago couldn't fly. But it could probably bash you to death. Researchers studying Xenicibis xympithecus now believe the bird's peculiar wing structure, which confused them for decades, was ideally formed to be used as a club. From Ed Yong: Xenicibis is a large, extinct, flightless ibis. It was discovered by Storrs Olson from the Smithsonian Institution, who found some partial remains in a Jamaican cave in 1977. When Olson eventually saw the bird’s wing bones, he was baffled. They were so “utterly strange” that he thought the animal must have been suffering from some inexplicable disease. Since then, Olson has found more remains including an almost complete skeleton. Now, he and his partner Nicholas Longrich from Yale University, have a very different view of the wing. They think it was a club. Weapons like clubs and bats have large weighted ends to deliver heavy impacts, and long handles to increase the speed of the swing. That’s exactly what you see in Xenicibis’s wing. For more about the these birds and their weapons of mass pummeling (and why they may have evolved this way), check out the rest of the post at Not Exactly Rocket Science . Related Content: Discoblog: I Can’t Fly! Birds Lost Their Aerial Abilities Multiple Times Not Exactly Rocket Science: First birds were poor fliers – flaps would have buckled Archaeopteryx feathers DISCOVER: Tuxedo Junction —speaking of weird flightless birds, read Mary Roach's feature on the migration of Patagonian penguins Image: Proceedings of the Royal Society B

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