The elephant bird was the giant, flightless bird of Madagascar that could stand around 3 meters tall and disappeared around 1000 AD. The name refers to a group of extinct birds in the order Aepyornithiformes, rather than one single species.
Some elephant birds, including Aepyornis maximus, were among the largest birds ever known. Their eggs were enormous—the largest known eggs of any amniote—and could provide a substantial food source. Unlike ostriches, which still live in Africa, elephant birds evolved in Madagascar and formed part of the island's unusual pre-human ecosystem.
Their closest living relatives are kiwis of New Zealand, despite the huge difference in size and appearance. Both belong to the broader palaeognath bird lineage, but elephant birds and kiwis became flightless independently after their ancestors reached different island environments.
The exact extinction process remains debated, but human activity is the leading explanation. Archaeological sites contain elephant-bird eggshells and butchered remains, suggesting that hunting and egg collecting contributed to their decline. Habitat changes may have added further pressure.