There’s Big Bird and then there’s really big birds. The elephant birds of Madagascar, which went extinct about a thousand years ago, have long been counted among the largest birds ever to walk the planet. But a second look at the bones they left behind has led researchers to rethink the birds’ family tree — and just how big they got.

Before we get into details of the new research, here’s the tidbit I know you want: Newly designated species Vorombe titan, an extinct flightless bird from