9 Birds That Look Like Dinosaurs

Most depictions of dinosaurs show them as large lizards. Even though lizards are reptiles, research shows that birds are the actual descendants of dinosaurs. When comparing the average bird to an illustration of a dinosaur, you’re unlikely to see the resemblance. But there are some birds that look like dinosaurs in our world today. They’re just not birds most people see daily.

Incredible Birds That Look Like Dinosaurs

Bird is an animal category that encompasses a lot more than sparrows and chickens. There’s a wide range of birds around the world, including some that appear so unusual that they look like they could’ve existed in prehistoric times. Below are some incredible birds that look like dinosaurs.

1.Southern Cassowary

Cassowaries are so bizarre-looking that they seem more like a Pokémon than a real animal. While all cassowaries look dinosaur-like, the southern cassowary is the one that stands out to me because it’s the largest. Southern cassowaries stand about 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh 120 to 170 pounds, which is an insane amount for a bird. Their size isn’t the only trait that resembles dinosaurs. They’re flightless birds that have long blue necks, huge wattles, and tall horn-like casques on their heads.

2. Shoebill Stork

I’d be terrified if I ever saw a shoebill stork in the wild. In some photos, they look like a human disguised as a bird. In others, they look prehistoric. They stand out because of their massive bills, which are important hunting tools. These five-foot-tall birds use their bills to scoop up fish and then decapitate them with the razor-sharp edges before eating them. If that isn’t eerie enough, they often stand motionless for long periods while waiting for prey, so it feels like they’re staring you down.

3. Emu

An emu is a well-known bird species, but if you stop to really look at an emu, they look more like a dinosaur than a modern bird. They’re tall birds (5 to 6.5 feet) with scruffy feathers and large eyes that almost look red. Despite their large size, they have tiny wings that are comparable to the size of a human hand. However, they don’t let their lack of flying slow them down. They can run up to 30 miles per hour and jump nearly 7 feet high. Plus, they’re excellent swimmers (although they only use that skill when necessary).

4. Helmeted Hornbill

Hornbills are vibrant birds that often have a helmet-like casque on their long, curved bills. The helmeted hornbill uses that feature in its name because these birds have a “helmet” unlike any other. Their casques are large, tall, and flat on the front, making them look almost manmade. That feature alone makes them birds that look like dinosaurs, but their thick, featherless necks and red and yellow coloring only add to it. If someone told me these birds existed in dinosaur times, I wouldn’t even be surprised.

5. Common Ostrich

Ostriches are extremely famous animals, but it’s hard to deny that they look more like a dinosaur than a bird. They’re the largest living bird species, standing 6 to 9 feet tall and weighing 200 to 300 pounds. While their wings can’t lift their bodies off the ground, they can run extremely fast (43 miles per hour) to escape danger. These birds can be aggressive, and they’re capable of delivering a powerful kick that can kill predators like lions. While cartoons often show ostriches with their heads in the sand, that’s only a myth.

6. Secretary Bird

Secretary birds might not be massive like an ostrich, but their bizarre appearance gives off dinosaur vibes. They have skinny legs and long feathers on their head, making them sort of look like feathery velociraptors. Even though these birds can fly, they primarily hunt on foot by kicking prey to kill it. They’re sometimes called the “archer of snakes” since they often target venomous snakes. They’re not immune to venom, but they can usually take out a snake before it strikes.

7. Kiwi

Kiwi birds are small, round, and adorable. They look like a ball of brown feathers with a long, curved bill, which sort of makes them look like baby dinosaurs. Even though these flightless birds are small, they’re known for laying massive eggs. The eggs are usually 15% of the mother’s body weight (for reference, ostrich eggs are 2% of the mother’s body weight). They only live in New Zealand, where they stick to dark, damp areas of forests, shrublands, and grasslands.

8. Hoatzin

These tropical birds have blue skin around their big red eyes and long orange feather crests. Something about their unusual appearance just seems like a creature you’d only see millions of years ago. Sure enough, their avian lineage dates back to dinosaur times, and they’re the only species of the lineage that’s still around. Young hoatzins have claws on their wings to help them climb around vegetation, making them resemble little dinosaurs even more. This is also the only avian species that ferments vegetation in its gut, resembling how a cow digests food.

9. Brown Pelican

All pelicans have an unusual appearance, but we’ve gotten used to seeing them in cartoons and along beaches. The brown pelican is a species that represents birds that look like dinosaurs because, in addition to the oversized bills, these birds have bold colors that I could picture prehistoric animals having. They appear different depending on the coast, but they often have rich brown, white, and/or yellow coloring on their necks paired with speckled gray bodies. Brown pelicans hunt by diving into the sea to scoop up fish from up to 100 feet in the air.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are There Dinosaurs That Look Like Birds?

Yes, there are lots of dinosaurs that resembled birds, such as Archaeopteryx, Oviraptor, and Struthiomimus. Since we don’t know exactly what dinosaurs looked like when they were alive, not all aspects of their appearance are certain.

Are There Birds That Look Like Dinosaurs in the United States?

While large birds like ostriches and emus are in other countries, there are some dinosaur-like birds that live in the U.S., such as pelicans, herons, and turkeys.

How Did Dinosaurs Become Birds?

Small, feathered dinosaurs evolved into birds over time. Over approximately 50 million years, they gradually adapted to use flight and live in trees.

Which Bird is the Closest Relative of Dinosaurs?

Cassowaries are one of the closest relatives to dinosaurs today. In addition to looking very dinosaur-like, these birds are flightless with sharp claws like dinosaurs.

What is the Biggest Bird?

The common ostrich is the biggest living bird species, making them seem similar to some dinosaurs. Common ostriches are 6 to 9 feet tall and weigh 200 to 300 pounds.

Birds and Dinosaurs Aren’t So Different

Massive reptiles walking the earth is extremely cool to imagine, but there’s still so much about dinosaurs that we don’t know. Since birds are descendants of these creatures, there’s a good chance that many dinosaurs were more bird-like than we once thought (like velociraptors having feathers). While most birds don’t resemble these extinct animals at all, there are plenty of unique birds that look like dinosaurs still roaming our world today.