Freaky Phorusrhacos

A speculative illustration of the iconic and holotype terror bird species, Phorusrhacos longissimus (18-16 mya), a giant predator from Argentina, standing some 2 meters tall or more and weighing 130-150 kg, here shown with skin flaps in likeness to modern birds like Andean condor and cassowary and the really speculative feature of a barbed tongue which is in fact a surprisingly recurring feature in modern carnivorous birds like vultures and penguins. It is only speculation though, and terror birds might just as well have been more similar to extant raptors and lacked any of these features XD